Alex Giancola is a cast member in a play called The Recovering. This interview is an excerpt from the film that Social Media Tools for Work & Learning did of the play.

This play was entirely created and directed by consumer/survivors of the mental health system. I was very pleased when Tanya Shute Exective Director of the Krasman Centre, a mental health drop in centre located in Richmond Hill Ontario agreed to my offer of filming the play at their 2009 AGM celebrations. The Krasman Centre and the Richmond Hill United Church where key supporters of the play from the beginning.

My filming partner Bill and I met the Director and cast at their pre show rehearsal to get their permission to film the play. They were very agreeable to my offer as they saw that having a good DVD quality video could help the play reach a wider audience. They also felt that a digital copy posted on the Internet would be an effective way to raise public awareness.

The acting troupe is seeking financial support from any level of government, Foundation or groups that has an interest in supporting  their volunteer driven production. Supporting The Recovering play would be appealing to groups interested in building inclusive communities, using drama as a therapeutic tool, raising public awareness of and support for individuals experiencing mental illness.

To make the film production more appealing they also agreed to my request that we include brief interviews of each of the cast members. The interviews would focus on their personal journey in dealing with mental illness and how participating in the play contributes to their well being and personal development.

I’ll be posting a link to the full film of the play and interviews of the cast once we finalize the production. Over the coming weeks, I will be writing more about using video and other social media tools to support advocacy and awareness projects in the community.

Please leave your comments about this wonderful dedicated acting troupe who are sharing so much of their story and contributing to a healthy inclusive community.