Aaron describes his fall from star athlete and gifted student to struggling with chronic depression. Even in the face of it, he continues to hold his head high.

Depression High SchoolsMiddle Schools

Alma survives childhood incest at the hands of her grandfather and brother. She now battles depression as she struggles to come to terms with her past and build a new life with her partner and children. This story can be performed in English or Spanish.

DepressionSelf-InjurySexual Abuse High SchoolsColleges/Universities

Through the telling of her story, Angela comes to terms with what she thinks are the root causes of her social anxiety and what she sees as her next steps toward healing.

Social Anxiety AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

April struggles with bipolar disorder and multiple suicide attempts before finally finding a treatment that works for her...Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT).

Bipolar DisorderSurviving Suicide AdultsColleges/Universities

Ben theorizes on a possible link between substance abuse and depression as he reflects on his longtime usage of marijuana, despite interventions from friends and family.

DepressionSubstance Addiction High SchoolsColleges/Universities

Bob lives his entire adult life battling depression, delusions, and misdiagnoses. He finally gains a new perspective on life after being correctly diagnosed and treated for schizoaffective disorder.

Schizoaffective Disorder Adults

Brian’s story is about a young man whose use of drugs to cope with depression eventually lands him in prison. This role is also played by Jason Economus.

DepressionSubstance Addiction AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Brian grapples with memories of childhood sexual abuse and how it has shaped his life - as well as the lives of his fiancee and family - as he comes face-to-face with his abuser.

Eating DisordersPTSDSexual Abuse AdultsColleges/Universities

Brigitte is a youth who gives voice to her experiences with bipolar disorder and self-injury and the influences that brought her closer to healing and self-acceptance.

Bipolar DisorderSelf-Injury AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Calvin grows up in a poor neighborhood, eventually living life as a petty thief and addicted to crack, before finally entering rehab for his addiction.

DepressionSubstance Addiction AdultsColleges/Universities

A highly unusual reaction to pain medication sends Carol on a harrowing journey of ravings, delusions and mania. Finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she turns to poetry to help put order to her thoughts and her life.

Bipolar DisorderSelf-Injury Adults

Cassie's sister Megan underwent cranial radiation for childhood leukemia. No one ever imagined it would lead to schizophrenia. Learn how Megan's illness has impacted Cassie and the rest of her family.

A Loved One's PerspectiveSchizophrenia AdultsColleges/Universities

Chloe faces bullying at school and punishment at home when it's discovered that she self-injures. This role is also played by Kierra Bunch.

Self-Injury High SchoolsMiddle Schools

Chris is a young man with OCD who decides he is no longer going to let his disorder hold him back from a full life.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder AdultsColleges/Universities

Deb is an elementary school teacher who endures several hospitalizations because she self-injures as a way of coping with intense anxiety.

AnxietySelf-Injury Adults

After being sexually assaulted, Emily finds that not everyone in her life is able to support her on her road to recovery. She eventually joins Rape Victim Advocates and promotes sexual health and an affirmative consent standard through SHEER.

Schizoaffective DisorderSexual Assault AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

A Thai woman lives with debilitating psoriasis that leads in turn to depression. She ultimately finds salvation in the written word.

Depression High SchoolsMiddle Schools

Jaron shares how growing up with depression leads to drug use and ultimately cocaine addiction. After getting arrested for possession, Jaron turns his life around, finds sobriety, and makes a commitment to helping others. This role is also played by Adam Poss.

DepressionSubstance Addiction High SchoolsMiddle SchoolsColleges/Universities

Jay's girlfriend lives with OCD and an eating disorder. Things nearly fall apart before the couple faces reality and discovers how the power of love and honesty can change everything.

A Loved One's PerspectiveEating DisordersObsessive Compulsive DisorderSelf-Injury AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Jeff experiences a series of traumas that lead him to seek insight and release, both through his Buddhist faith and by bravely facing his past.

AbusePTSDSexual Abuse Adults

Details her own bout with depression, as well as the guilt she feels at being unable to help a friend who ultimately commits suicide.

A Loved One's PerspectiveDepressionLoved One Suicide AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Keara is a young woman who tries to deal with her anxiety through excessive alcohol use. She quickly becomes addicted and it significantly affects her life.

Sexual AssaultSubstance Addiction AdultsHigh SchoolsMiddle SchoolsColleges/Universities

Keith lives with OCD, which he has dubbed "Henry," and offers a unique perspective on his disorder and how Exposure Response and Prevention Therapy saved his life.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder AdultsHigh SchoolsMiddle SchoolsColleges/Universities

A transgender woman of color coming to terms with years of trauma from repeated sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

AbuseDepressionSexual Abuse AdultsColleges/Universities

Lawrence speaks about his struggle to find sobriety from alcohol when the anger inside of him feels like it has no release.

Alcohol Abuse AdultsColleges/Universities

Lisa's struggle with bipolar disorder takes her from high school senior class president to college dropout to, presently, a licensed clinical social worker trying to balance being both a mental health specialist and a person living with a mental illness.

Bipolar Disorder AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Lyn uses her thirst for learning and family relationships to help her cope with bipolar disorder. This role is also played by Jennifer Mathews.

Bipolar Disorder AdultsColleges/Universities

Manij is an Iranian refugee who overcomes a lifelong cycle of violence to work with a women facing similar challenges.

Domestic Violence Adults

Marie grows up in an abusive home and looks to obsessive exercise and disordered eating as vehicles for control and maintaining invisibility. This role is also played by Katie Genualdi.

Eating Disorders AdultsHigh SchoolsMiddle SchoolsColleges/Universities

Marlena loses both parents as a child and bounces from home to home, struggling with substance abuse and eventually falling into prostitution. An aunt finally takes Marlena in and gives her the encouragement she needs to rebuild her confidence...and her life. This role is also played by Jasondra Johnson.

AbuseHomelessnessPTSDSubstance Addiction AdultsColleges/Universities

A Palestinian college student who relies on family support, a scientific mind, and a love of music to climb her way out of depression.

DepressionSelf-Injury AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Matthew, a charismatic slam poet, muses on how having Cerebral Palsy has affected his mental health.

Depression AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

After struggling with bipolar disorder since childhood, Meaghan begins behavioral therapy that completely changes her life. Proudly describing herself as a "successful bipolar," Meaghan now shares her story to help inspire and educate others.

Bipolar Disorder High SchoolsColleges/Universities

After fighting her own battles with depression, Meredith learns that the illness runs in her family. She then forges a close relationship with her dad over their shared experience.

DepressionMental Illness in Families AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Paul's addiction to pain medication ultimately jeopardizes his financial security, his career, and his relationship with his wife and young daughter.

Substance Addiction Adults

Penelope sheds light on living with and surviving intimate partner violence and learning to find her voice again. This role is also played by Meredith Siemsen.

Domestic Violence AdultsColleges/Universities

Ramona resiliently survives a trauma-filled adolescence and homelessness to eventually help other homeless youth find a voice.

AbuseHomelessnessMental Illness in Families AdultsColleges/Universities

After her first onset of severe chronic depression at age 13, Rebekah goes from high school drop out to eventual Fulbright scholar - but first she must accept that her illness is a biologically based disorder and requires medication to manage the symptoms. This role is also played by Katie Genualdi, Gail Hafar and Brighid O'Shaughnessy.

Depression AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Ron's story brings to life what it's like to lose a parent to Alzheimer's. He struggles with visiting his mother, who has become so unlike the person he once knew that she doesn't even recognize him. Yet he continues to visit and bring his son in the hopes that somewhere deep inside, she knows they are both there.

Alzheimer's AdultsColleges/Universities

Ryan's discusses how his father's alcohol addiction and domestic violence affects him both as a young boy trying to survive and as an adult struggling to come to grips with his own emotions. This role is also played by Philip de Guzman and Scott Shimizu.

Domestic ViolenceMental Illness in FamiliesSubstance Addiction AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Sarah bargains, begs, and even tries to bribe her father to stop drinking - anything to stop the pain that his alcoholism wreaks on her family. This story can be performed in English or Spanish.

A Loved One's PerspectiveAlcohol Abuse AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Sarah's story is an amazing tale of survival. She experiences a brutal sexual assault as a teenager, and experiences further pain and abuse at the hands of the court system. She finally finds healing 20 years later through C4’s Quetzal Center and her own process of forgiveness.

Sexual Assault Adults

Sean is a young African American man who grows up in poverty and succumbs to the drugs and gangs and violence that surround him, even as he desperately seeks a father figure in his life. After escaping this life and going to college, he ultimately finds himself battling a past that threatens to hold him back.

AbuseHomelessnessSubstance Addiction AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Suresh finds hope after his brother's suicide through his Hindu faith, unwavering advocacy, and the support of a family and community willing to stand by each other. This role is also played by Adam Poss.

A Loved One's PerspectiveDepressionLoved One Suicide AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Tarak loses his mother to suicide as a child, and now battles his own suicidal thoughts in adulthood. This role is also played by Scott Shimizu.

DepressionLoved One Suicide AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities

Wannapa is a Thai woman struggling to care for a child with a severe disability, find her own voice in marriage, and understand her impulses surrounding self-injury and suicide.

DepressionSelf-Injury Adults

After years of struggling with social awkwardness and depression, Warren eventually recognizes the gifts inherent in the mental health challenges he faces.

DepressionSocial Anxiety AdultsHigh SchoolsColleges/Universities