Anne Pasquale performs in her one-woman play, “Bob: Blessed be the Dysfunction that Binds” June 6-30 at the Artists’ Exchange in Cranston. Photo from Bobtheshow.com
By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
Anne Pasquale isn’t afraid to bear her deepest secrets on the stage, as long as her work has the potential to help and heal others.
Pasquale grew up in Smithfield, and though she’s lived in New York most of her adult life, she’s returning to her roots this month to present a show about mental illness and how it impacted her own family.
Pasquale’s play, “Bob: Blessed be the Dysfunction that Binds” centers on her brother, and follows his life from diagnosis through today. In the late 1950’s, Bob was diagnosed as “emotionally disturbed,” and doctors told his family that he was schizophrenic with autistic attributes. At a time when mental health studies were vastly different than they are today, Pasquale said her family faced many obstacles. Pasquale said the show is about how families changes in the face of mental illness, and also how the mental health landscape has transformed over the years.
“It’s a success story,” she said. The show is billed as “A Rhode Island Family’s Story of Sanity, Insanity, Laughter, Tears and Triumph.”
Pasquale, a life-long entertainer and educator, said she created the show to teach people about mental illness, and to let other families like hers know they’re not alone.
“There are a lot of families like mine,” she said. “It’s an important story to share.”
Pasquale work-shopped the 90-minute, one-woman show last summer at the Artsist Exchange in Cranston, and is bringing it back to the theater this summer.
Throughout the show, Pasquale plays 20 different characters, including herself and her family members. Some of her family has seen the show, but her mother told her it would be too painful to watch and relive. Pasquale said she plans to do an abridged version of the play for her brother, Bob, in the winter.
Pasquale is no stranger to the stage, and is familiar with touring one-woman shows to entertain and educate. But this one is slightly different.
“Yes this is more deeply personal,” she said, “It requires me to be more rested and better on my game. It’s more challenging but it’s a lot more rewarding, too.”
“Bob: Blessed be the Dysfunction that Binds” runs June 6-30 at The Artists’ Exchange, 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston.
|
|
Kim Kalunian
