The Keene State College Theatre and Dance (TAD) Department opened its second major production of the semester, Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s Tony Award Winning rock musical “Next to Normal,” at the Redfern Arts Center’s Main Stage.
The show, which opened on Wednesday, Nov. 20 and ran until Saturday, Nov. 23, explores mental health, psychiatric treatment and the intersection of mental health and family.
Considering the potentially distressing subject matter, counselors from the KSC Wellness Center were stationed at each performance to provide support to audience members as a mental health precaution.
Wellness Center Counselor Michael Evans was one of the counselors available to help audience members who were emotionally affected by the performance. Evans said it can be hard to know how one might be affected, highlighting the importance of self-regulation.
“We start by asking what specifically a person is finding difficult, and then help guide them through some regulating skills to help rebalance in the moment, and then make sure they know how to connect after the show if they still want help later,” said Evans.
Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance Kirstin O’Brien directed the show and expressed the power of tackling difficult topics through the performing arts.
“The goal of the show was for the audience to take in the story and characters, and hopefully audiences can relate or connect to one of the characters so they can emote and release how they need to,” said O’Brien.
O’Brien said the opening performance was the culmination of a lengthy and rewarding production process.
“We’ve been working on this show all semester, and I couldn’t be more proud and grateful to be in the presence of everyone who came together to make it happen,” said O’Brien.
“Everyone involved in every area shined so beautifully to make this happen. It really was a labor of love, trust, transparency and honesty, and I am proud to trust every single one of them with this material,” added O’Brien.
According to O’Brien, the opening night performance was marked by energy from the audience, as well as the cast and crew.
“The vibe of the first performance truly was energizing. The cast was really able to build off the audience’s energy, and that’s something that makes each performance unique,” said O’Brien.
“Even though this show is heavy, there’s also so much light and hope to it, and it doesn’t exist in this dark place the entire time,” added O’Brien.
Junior Amanda Sennett performed the role of Diana Goodman, a woman struggling to navigate mental health challenges, set against the domestic backdrop of marriage and motherhood. Sennett is graduating early, and “Next to Normal” is slated to be her final musical performance at KSC before graduation.
Sennett said her love of musical theater solidified after performing in O’Brien’s production of “Fun Home” during her first year at KSC.
“My first musical, and working with O’Brien absolutely changed my life,” said Sennett.
“I never really saw myself in musical theater before that, and I fell in love with it after that first show. This last musical at Keene State, and working with O’Brien feels like evidence of my journey and how far I’ve come as a performer, and I couldn’t be more proud of the show and the amazing people I get to work with,” added Sennett.
Junior Caroline Catino played Natalie Goodman, Diana’s over-achieving daughter who struggles with feelings of neglect and concern for her mother’s wellbeing.
Catino has performed in numerous shows at KSC, but “Next to Normal” was her first musical.
“It’s super exciting because everyone is so talented and in it together, and I can’t stop smiling when I think about how far we’ve come and how much fun this has been,” said Catino.
Catino said a strong group dynamic and performance community helped with developing her character.
“Connecting with people on stage was such a big part of learning my character and bringing her to life,” said Catino.
“So much of it came from reacting to how people on stage treated my character, and what my character says back. It made the development so much more real and natural,” added Catino.
First-year student Julien Vance attended the opening night performance.
“I had been hearing great things about the show, and decided to check it out at the last minute,” said Vance.
“The show addressed really prominent issues in the world, and I thought everyone involved did a great job of capturing those feelings and experiences. It really was something special,” added Vance.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
