The play the Signal Mountain High School theater department is showing may be called “Next to Normal,” but it is unlike anything the department has done before, said Laura Holland. She plays Diana, the mother of a child who has depression and bipolar disorder, in the production.
Holland said the play is unique in that it is a musical with a meaningful message, dispelling the misconception many people have that all musicals have to be funny. The play explores issues concerning society, health and family, she said.
“It sheds a lot of light on mental illness in unexpected places,” Holland said. “The family is well-off, but not everything is as great as it looks.”
She hopes people will come see the play to learn about the theater department and experience one of its student-run productions, as well as to absorb the play’s messages about family and society.
“I want people to see that mental illness is a serious thing often overlooked in society,” said SMHS senior Randy Haney. “People take medication instead of getting to the root of the problem.”