Playbill for This Is My Brave - The Show in New Hampshire
Riverbend Community Mental Health presents This Is My Brave - The Show in New Hampshire on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. This show features a cast of 11 individuals who will share stories of their lived experience with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders using the performing arts. You will laugh and you will cry as you hear their inspiring stories. Most of all, you will walk away with a sense of hope for yourself -- or for someone you love -- that help is available and recovery is possible.
Riverbend Community Mental Health presents This Is My Brave - The Show in New Hampshire on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. This show features a cast of 11 individuals who will share stories of their lived experience with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders using the performing arts. You will laugh and you will cry as you hear their inspiring stories. Most of all, you will walk away with a sense of hope for yourself -- or for someone you love -- that help is available and recovery is possible.
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THIS IS MY BRAVE<br />
HISTORY<br />
FROM A BLOG TO A SHOW<br />
In August of 2011, more than six years after Jennifer<br />
Marshall’s bipolar disorder first surfaced, she decided<br />
to start a blog. It became a place where she turned to<br />
write about her life as a wife and young mom to two<br />
small kids, and writ<strong>in</strong>g helped her beg<strong>in</strong> to heal. She<br />
titled it: Bipolar Mom Life. Jennifer wrote anonymously<br />
at first, because she was afraid of be<strong>in</strong>g judged. She<br />
also worried that disclos<strong>in</strong>g her mental illness may make<br />
future employment opportunities difficult. For eighteen<br />
months, Jennifer wrote and found community onl<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Other writers who were openly shar<strong>in</strong>g their stories of<br />
overcom<strong>in</strong>g mental illness <strong>in</strong>spired her, and when she<br />
landed her first paid writ<strong>in</strong>g job, Jennifer decided to stop<br />
hid<strong>in</strong>g beh<strong>in</strong>d a pen name.<br />
When WhatToExpect.com published her first article with<br />
Jennifer’s byl<strong>in</strong>e, it was also picked up by AOL.com (the<br />
parent company). <strong>The</strong> outpour<strong>in</strong>g of support and gratitude<br />
when that piece hit the Internet with her real name was<br />
overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g. She knew immediately that disclos<strong>in</strong>g was<br />
the right decision. She could f<strong>in</strong>ally talk about all parts of<br />
her life, and not just the sh<strong>in</strong>y, fun moments.<br />
About six months later, Jennifer had the idea to launch<br />
a theater show. A simple storytell<strong>in</strong>g show where<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals from the community could tell their stories<br />
through creative expression to break down the stigma<br />
associated with mental illness. She wanted to give<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals from the community the same opportunity<br />
she had – a stage on which to share their story of liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a successful life despite mental illness. Jennifer met her<br />
Co-Founder, Anne Marie Ames, at a mutual friend’s party<br />
and recruited her to help put the project out to the world.<br />
Jennifer and Anne Marie launched <strong>This</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>My</strong> <strong>Brave</strong><br />
on Kickstarter <strong>in</strong> October of 2013 and the excitement<br />
surround<strong>in</strong>g the project grew and grew. <strong>The</strong>y offered<br />
tickets to the first show and handmade “BRAVE”<br />
bracelets, among other items, as rewards <strong>for</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
pledges of support. With<strong>in</strong> 31 days, the campaign had<br />
surpassed their goal of $6,500 to fund the first show,<br />
end<strong>in</strong>g up with over $10,000 <strong>in</strong> contributions. It was clear<br />
that the community wanted to help br<strong>in</strong>g this show to life<br />
– they believed <strong>in</strong> the vision and Jennifer and Anne Marie<br />
were dedicated to deliver<strong>in</strong>g an exceptional production.<br />
After the success of the debut show <strong>in</strong> 2014, Jennifer<br />
and Anne Marie began receiv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terest from<br />
<strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>in</strong> other cities to br<strong>in</strong>g the show to their<br />
community. <strong>This</strong> <strong>Is</strong> <strong>My</strong> <strong>Brave</strong>, Inc was <strong>for</strong>med<br />
as a 501(c)(3) and the organization began to<br />
expand to new cities through the support of<br />
volunteers will<strong>in</strong>g to donate their time and<br />
expertise to coord<strong>in</strong>ate shows.<br />
Photo credit: Jim Folliard<br />
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