Deena Nyer Mendlowitz performing. [Photo courtesy of Deena Nyer Mendlowitz]
Psych wards can be true lifesavers.
That’s the main message Deena Nyer Mendlowitz is trying to get across with a special edition of her Mental Illness and Friends presents “Psych Hospital Hope” at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Imposters Theater, 4828 Lorain Ave, Cleveland.
She calls the show counterprogramming to a murder mystery now running at Pickwick and Frolic called “Psych Ward Whacker.”
The “Psych Ward Whacker” and the image Pickwick and Frolic is using to promote the show perpetuates stereotypes and makes it less likely that people will seek needed treatment, Nyer Mendlowitz said.
Nyer Mendlowitz said she and fellow comedian Mark Colella met with Pickwick and Frolic representatives but they did not want to change the title or the way they were promoting the show.
Pickwick and Frolic did not respond to requests for comment.
Nyer Mendlowitz, who lives with anxiety and suicidal ideation, said “Psych Hospital Hope” will feature performers who have received treatment in psych wards or people that have worked in them.
She added people often mistakenly try to put mental illness in a separate category from what they consider physical illnesses.
“The brain is part of the body,” she said
Nyer Mendlowitz always is working to dispel the myths about psych wards. “It’s a place that still carries shame.”
But, she said, she is grateful for the treatment she received in the Cleveland Clinic – Lutheran Hospital psych ward.
“I am still here because of it,” she said.
Nyer Mendlowitz, hosts the show, and, besides Colella, guests include comedian Dionne Atchison, along with Kate Auger, who is a suicide loss survivor. The musical guest will be Marionna McMillon-Corey who has been a music therapist on an in-patient psych unit.
Colella said he thinks Imposters Theater is the perfect venue for the show. He added that Imposters Theater Artistic Director Michael Busch has always shown support to groups that might be marginalized in other cases.
Colella knows what he is aiming for at the show.
“I want it to be humorous storytelling about my experiences in various psych facilities,” he said.
Colella also said he is always happy to be on a show with Nyer Mendlowitz and appreciates how strongly she advocates for people dealing with mental health issues.
“She always stands her ground,” Colella said.
The show is a live comedy talk show combining standup, improv, and features open, honest dialogue with other artists dealing with mental health issues.
At the show there will be a resource table being staffed by people from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nyer Mendlowitz will also be collecting DVDs, books, and games for the different psych units at Lutheran Hospital.
The weekends can be challenging in psych wards, Nyer Mendlowitz said, because most actual treatment occurs during the week.
“I am trying to give people things they can do to help fill the time,” she said.
Recently, she was also honored as a CJN Difference Maker for the work she has done using comedy to promote mental health awareness and to destigmatize mental illness.
Nyer Mendlowitz hopes people come away from the show with a better understanding of people dealing with mental illness and become more comfortable with seeking treatment if they need it.
People often say that laughter is the best medicine, but Nyer Mendlowitz said forming strong bonds with others is the best thing in general because people feel less isolated.
“Laughter is not the best medicine,” she said. “Connection is the best medicine.”
Tickets for Mental Illness & Friends presents “Psych Hospital Hope” at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 22. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 day of show at Imposter Theater 4828 Lorain Ave.
For tickets, go to www.imposterstheater.com.