The Mental State

In the small rural town of Havenville, Kentucky, a working class family struggles to find help for their teenage son Andrew, as he battles with a serious mental illness. When Andrew’s mother Angela reaches out to an overextended school system, an underfunded community mental health program, and a church community overwhelmed by Andrew’s anti-social behavior, her cries for help fall on deaf ears. The Mental State explores the human story behind the newscasts and asks how we as a national community can address the urgent issue of untreated teenage mental illness. 

From playwright Josh Adell comes a new play performed by high school students to help raise awareness about mental health.  Its powerful impact is something NAMI Westside LA wants to bring to every high school in the city and around the country.

Josh’s personal mission is to inspire the national conversation about teenage mental illness in order to erase the stigma and promote positive self-expression. Bravo, Josh, for taking it upon yourself to make change happen in a community which so desperately needs it.

He would also like to thank NAMI.org:

A great deal of the research that went into writing The Mental State was drawn from NAMI.org. NAMI provides a wealth of resources and information on the topic of Mental Illness. If anyone ever has any questions about themselves, friends, or family members, he highly recommends contacting someone from this extraordinary organization. 

To learn more about the play or its productions, email us: info@namila.org

Listen to an interview of Josh on The Theatrefolk Podcast: CLICK HERE

Also, read an article from the Educational Theatre Association: CLICK HERE

Past productions:
Campbell Hall High School, North Hollywood CA
La Cuerva High School, Albuquerque NM
Culver City High School, Culver City CA

Future Productions:
Los Altos High School, Los Altos California