Submitted by the Queen Charlotte Islands Arts Council and Queen Charlotte Mental Health--Imagine the unthinkable has happened. You've landed in the psychiatric ward and been told you have a mental illness. What does this mean? What do you do next? Will you recover? That's the subject of Crazy for Life, Victoria Maxwell's tour-de-force solo show about bi-polar disorder. With vivid detail and irreverent humour, the play explores her experience with mental illness.
Victoria has over 15 years of experience in theatre and film, and seven as a mental health worker and group facilitator. She has worked alongside John Travolta, David Duchovny and Johnny Depp, among others. In 1992, after several psychoses (disassociative episodes), she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder (manic-depression). She took a very pro-active approach to her recovery process, investigating and finding support from both traditional (Western medical model) and alternative methods of healing.
She is now one of Canada's top speakers on the 'lived' experience of mental illness and recovery, and recognizing depression in the workplace. Crazy for Life is touring across North America, into Europe, and being translated into Japanese and Spanish.
Islanders will have an opportunity to take in this spectacular one-woman play. Victoria Maxwell will be performing at the Queen Charlotte Community Hall Friday, March 5, 7:30pm and at the Green Church in Masset on Saturday, March 6, 7:30pm. (Recommended age for audience is 14 yrs and up) Ms. Maxwell will also give an educational talk on mental illness and recovery, free to everyone and for all ages at the Mental Health building in Queen Charlotte on Monday, March 8, 7:30 pm. This will be a fun and informative evening and will provide an opportunity for open discussion. For more information, call Laurie or Astrid at 559-8765 or 626-6051.