A Free Panel presented by Barrington Stage Company
Sponsored by Canyon Ranch
Keynote Speaker Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
Sunday, August 25 at 11:00 a.m. at the Boyd-Quinson Stage
(Pittsfield, MA) Barrington Stage Company and Canyon Ranch will present a free Deeper Look panel on Next to Normal: Mental Health Through The Lens of Storytelling on Sunday, August 25 at 11:00 a.m. at the Boyd-Quinson Stage (30 Union Street).
There will be a 10:00 a.m. coffee and bagel reception in the Boyd-Quinson Stage Lobby. The Panel discussion begins at 11:00 a.m. in the theatre.
Join us for an engaging panel discussion delving into the themes of mental health and family dynamics presented in Barrington Stage’s musical Next to Normal. The characters in this Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical grapple with their relationships, their pasts, and their futures, providing a powerful lens through which we can examine the complexities of mental illness. The panel will discuss the impact of mental health on families, the importance of open communication, and how art can foster acceptance and emotional well-being.
This event features Barrington Stage Artistic Director Alan Paul and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a TIME Magazine 100 on Mental Health and best-selling author of The Body Keeps the Score, along with mental health professionals Dr. Jennifer Michaels from the Brien Center, Dr. Kyle Shepard from Austen Riggs, and Mary C. Cahilly from Canyon Ranch.
About the Panelists:
Alan Paul (Director) is the Artistic Director of Barrington Stage Company. Last summer he made his BSC directing debut with Cabaret, which received eight Berkshire Theatre Critics Awards including Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Director of a Musical. Alan spent 15 seasons at the Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company, where he served as Associate Artistic Director. His shows at STC bridged the gap between classical and popular culture. Highlights include Camelot; Kiss Me, Kate; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; and Man of La Mancha. Alan has received acclaim for his bold interpretations of Shakespeare, including a modern-dress Romeo and Juliet and The Comedy of Errors set in 1960s Greece. Alan directed the film of Patrick Page’s All the Devils Are Here, which was a New York Times Critics Pick. Alan is particularly dedicated to new work and has spent much of his career developing new plays and musicals. At STC, Alan commissioned Lauren Gunderson to write a feminist reimagining of Peter Pan and Wendy which premiered in 2019. His production of Our Town included a new score by Michael John LaChiusa. Alan has directed productions at theaters across the country including Kiss Me, Kate at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre and The King and I at Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre, for which he was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Director. In Washington, Alan has directed at the city’s top theaters, including The Pajama Game at Arena Stage, Cabaret at Olney Theatre Center, Spring Awakening at Round House Theatre, The Rocky Horror Show and Silence! The Musical at Studio Theatre, and I Am My Own Wife at Signature Theatre. Alan is a frequent collaborator with the National Symphony Orchestra, and directed John Williams 90th Birthday Celebration which featured Steven Spielberg, Yo Yo Ma, Anne-Sophie Mutter, and Daisy Ridley.
Dr. Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D. is a pioneer clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of posttraumatic stress. His work uniquely integrated developmental, neurobiological, psychodynamic, somatic and interpersonal aspects of the impact of trauma and its treatment. His #1 New York Times Science best seller, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Treatment of Trauma (translated in 43 languages), transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring—specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neurofeedback, psychedelic therapy,psychodrama, mindfulness techniques, parts work, yoga, and body work. Dr. van der Kolk and his various collaborators have published extensively on the impact of trauma on development,such as dissociative problems, borderline personality and self-mutilation, cognitive development, memory, and the psychobiology of trauma. He has published over 150 peer reviewed scientific articles on such diverse topics as neuroimaging, self-injury, memory, neurofeedback, Developmental Trauma, yoga, theater and EMDR.He is founder of the Trauma Center (now the Trauma ResearchFoundation) in Boston, MA; past President of the International Society For Traumatic Stress Studies, Professor of Psychiatry at Boston UniversityMedical School And Principal Investigator Boston site of MAPSsponsored MDMA assisted psychotherapy study. He regularly teaches at universities and hospitals around the world.Visittraumaresearchfoundation.org and besselvanderkolk.com for more information.
Mary C. Cahilly, LMHC, LPC Senior Mental Health & Wellness Therapist at Canyon Ranch. Mary is dedicated to helping her clients remember the truth and beauty of who they are. As a compassionate psychotherapist, of nearly 25 years, and an insatiably curious human being, she continues to explore life while also training in mindfulness, gestalt, trauma, addictions, psychodrama, emotionally focused therapy, internal family systems, and more. Her career has included the adventures of being an environmental chemist, psychotherapist, college professor, addictions counselor, and even radio show host. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from the University of Virginia and her Master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University.
Dr. Jennifer Michaels MD, Medical Director, The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services/ Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School/ attending psychiatrist at Berkshire Medical Center. She is a frequent guest on Public Radio, WAMC, and is a committed community educator on topics related to addiction, mental health and mindfulness. Dr. Michaels has been treating people with mental health and addiction issues for over 25 years. Dr. Michaels is dual board certified in adult and addiction psychiatry. She is a national mentor for the Physician Clinical Support System, a program providing training and education to physicians treating people with addictions. She received her medical degree from NYU School of Medicine.
Dr. Kyle Shepard, DO, is a board-certified psychiatrist. In January 2025 he will complete a four-year fellowship in hospital-based psychotherapy and psychoanalytic studies at the Austen Riggs Center. He was previously an attending physician at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT where he still works part time providing clinical care and teaching psychotherapy to psychiatry residents and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. Kyle has a longstanding interest in the relationship between the arts, the human body, and how culture impacts conceptions of health versus illness.