WHAT
Why I Fight, a theatrical adaptation of the 2019 Michigan Quarterly Review novelette by James Munro Leaf, dramatizes the perils of being defined by a mental illness and being caught in the psychiatric system. It probes the presumption of labels and the complex dynamics of power, dehumanization, and abuse in clinical settings. Creative director Gillian Eaton and actor Malcolm Tulip, faculty of the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance, engage students in this production at U-M Residential College ’s Keene Theater from March 26–29, 2020.
Based on collaboration with the U-M Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program and other University units, a series of panels on mental illness and the arts follow each performance. Panelists will expand on themes in Why I Fight and invite conversation with audience members. Individuals and family members who live with mental illness; U-M faculty conducting psycho-social, public health, and biomedical research; and practitioners in the arts will explore the roles of creativity and the outdoors in healing. Dr. Melvin McInnis, Director of the Prechter Program, and other U-M mental health experts, will moderate the panels.
A catered reception and information tables for community resources in the arts and mental health follow each performance.
WHERE
University of Michigan Residential College
Keene Theater
701 East University Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
WHEN
Thursday, March 26, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Friday, March 27, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
FREE TICKETS
These events are free and open to the public. Although we will have limited space available for walk-ins, we request that you reserve your tickets in advance, if possible. 100 free tickets are available for each performance and can be reserved by clicking here.
WHO
The event is sponsored by:
● U-M Residential College
● U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance
● U-M Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Program
● Michigan Quarterly Review
INTENDED AUDIENCE
Those seeking to:
● ask questions about research and treatments for mental illness
● explore the relationship between mental illness and the impact of the
arts in healing
● support family members, friends, and students with mental illness
● prevent suicide among young adults
● shift the legal system towards more humane interventions
RELATED EVENTS
Check the event website for details about a series of associated events and workshops as they are scheduled during the weekend of Why I Fight. These will also be free and open to the public.
MORE INFORMATION can be found on the event website.
We look forward to seeing you there!
