Next to Normal in the Making

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Two high school seniors, one who lost a sibling to cancer, and another who has struggled with major depression, hope to stage “Next To Normal,” a rock musical about grief, mental illness, and being a family “in treatment.”  The students are halfway to their goal of raising $3,200 and have raised just enough for performance rights and still need money rehearsal and performance space and materials. If they can reach this goal, they will be able to donate 100% of ticket profits to The Dougy Center, which offers no cost grief counseling services to children and families.
Annie Eldridge was 6 years old when her sister died from a rare form of brain cancer. The Dougy Center gave her family a resource to help her through an impossible time. Next to Normal’s Rock n’ Roll treatment of issues so close to her her and her family’s heart is inspiring and cathartic to her.
Nathaniel Nuckolls has struggled with depression for 4 years.  He’s not alone among his peers.  He personally knows 5 teens who have attempted suicide during highschool.  Living in a generation where depression and anxiety disorders are at an all time high, and having dealt with severe depression himself, he found the authentic exploration of difficult realities extremely important for his own growth. “When I discovered Next To Normal, it was a kind of beacon in a very dark time. It’s message made an important difference to me, and I want to be able to make that difference to someone else.”