“Believe it or not, I was in a shell once,” says Dorothy Plaut with a laugh. The 66-year-old was diagnosed with depression caused by a chemical imbalance in 1976. Nine years ago, after a hospital stay to treat her condition, her doctor recommended that she check out a theater workshop run by the Thresholds psychiatric rehabilitation center in Lincoln Park.
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There are plenty of problems the Thresholds ensemble members may want to forget. Many of these actors are living with paranoid schizophrenia, personality disorders, depression, or anxiety. Performing is a welcome outlet. “There’s something magical about acting,” says Plaut. “It really gives people with mental problems a chance to be creative.” The twice-weekly rehearsals provide both a sense of structure and an opportunity for the actors to work together as a group.
“They’re all stories that need to be told because they come from voices that frequently are not heard or are not understood enough,” says Grimm, who loves it when the ensemble takes the stage and the audience reacts with familiarity to tales told by someone who has been labeled “different.”
An afternoon at a rehearsal helps. Going through traditional warm-up exercises, this diverse group (ten Thresholds members and two professional local actresses make up the ensemble) is obviously having a great time. Vocalizing, throwing their arms and legs around at a frenzied pace, making eye contact, and playing together in ten-second improvisations, they laugh and cheer each other on. Any accomplishment or moment of enthusiasm is recognized with generous clapping from the entire group.
