Mental Disorders in Contemporary American Musical Theatre

How is the theme of mental disorders presented in Tom

English Language and Literature

3938 words
Contents Page

Introduction 2

Portrayal of the adversity faced by Diana Goodman with bipolar-depressive disorder

Portrayal of the adversity faced by Evan Hansen in ​Dear Evan Hansen,​ and the
comparison of such to that of Diana Goodman in ​Next to Normal 6

Characterisation of Dan and Natalie Goodman in ​Next to Normal ​suggesting the

Characterisation of Heidi in ​Dear Evan Hansen​ suggesting the challenges they face 9

Portrayal of the lack of compassion Doctor Fine has for Diana in ​Next to Normal 11

Portrayal of the lack of compassion Jared has for Evan in ​Dear Evan Hansen 12

Conclusion 13

Works Cited List 15

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Introduction

Mental disorders, “problems people experience with their mood and their

mind” (Grohol), are often seen as issues that need to be addressed by society, and

have gained higher popularity as a topic portrayed in contemporary American

musical theatre in the 21st century. In the musical ​Next to Normal​, winner of the

2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, composer Tom Kitt, collaborates with writer and

lyricist Brian Yorkey to shine the spotlight on a bipolar-depressive wife and mother of

a daughter. Diana Goodman is surrounded by her family who cares about her and

her disorder, and they together express their hopelessness throughout the two acts

as her situation shows minimal improvement. In another musical theatrical work ​Dear

Evan Hansen, ​writer Steven Leveson, together with composers and lyricists Benj

Hasek and Justin Paul, focuses on Evan, a high-schooler with social anxiety disorder

struggling to be included among his peers in the beginning of the musical. The

protagonists in both musicals are immersed in the care of family, and both works

highlight the probable crises that individuals face as a result of their disorders -

memory loss resulting from treatments for Diana, and miscommunications which

leads to an unexpected online popularity and drama in Evan’s story. While few

scholars have reviewed these texts from a literary point-of-view, many reviewers

have commented on the performances of the musicals and discussed about the

theme of mental disorder presented in these musicals. Joe Dziemianowicz at the

Daily News comments that the creators of ​Next to Normal ​“turn this

depressing-sounding material into something fascinating” (Dziemianowicz), while

Jesse Green at The New York Times states that ​Dear Evan Hansen “addresses with

great heart and humor both the social anxiety that we all experience at some point or

another and the new modes of communication that can amplify either a sense of

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belonging or nonbelonging” (Green). The features adopted by works of modern

theatrical literature such as these, depict the life of individuals under such

circumstances and express the advocacy for more awareness on affected

individuals. This essay prompts to look at how the writers of the two texts present the

impact of the mental disorders of the characters on other members of their

communities, the ways in which they compromise on conflicts, both internal and

external, their self-perceptions, and how they try to cope with the world they are in. In

​ nd ​Dear Evan Hansen,​ creators Tom

Kitt and Brian Yorkey, and Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Haul

respectively use characterisation through lyrics of songs, dialogues, and stage

directions, to suggest the theme that mental disorders are more than simply personal

adversity, but one that impacts individuals around the diagnosed, negatively and

simultaneously, or one that is possibly overlooked by others.

The plot of ​Next to Normal focuses around bipolar-depressive Diana, wife of

Dan Goodman and mother of sixteen-year-old Natalie Goodman, who is stuck in

unpromising conditions caused by her illness. Her daily life is heavily interrupted by

her disorder which at times seems to be worsening, and her hallucination of the sight

of her eighteen-year-old son Gabe Goodman, who died as a baby. After rounds of

treatment with medication which has little positive effect, she decides to undergo

electroconvulsive therapy, which results temporary memory loss. Towards the end of

the text, her memory is gradually recovered, shedding hope to the plot when she

finally acknowledges the death of her son and decides to let go of the unpleasant

past, ultimately leaving her family for a new life. The other musical mentioned in this

essay, ​Dear Evan Hansen,​ tells the story of a teenager who is in his final year of high

school, struggling with social anxiety disorder. His therapist suggests him to write a

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letter to himself regularly as a form of treatment, one of which is accidentally found,

kept, and mocked on by Connor Murphy, the bully on the first day of school. The

shocking fact that Connor has taken his own life leads to the misunderstanding of

Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, who interpret the letter as one written by their son to “his best

friend”, Evan. Due to Evan’s inability to communicate himself effectively, he

hesitantly accepts the false friendship and perpetually initiates a big project in

memory of his “friend”, which entails further lies and made-up components to prove

their “friendship” sound genuine. Soon, Evan unexpectedly gains viral fame on the

Internet and is applauded for his good acts. However, when people begin demeaning

and even threatening behaviours against the Murphys after his speech is posted

online, he realises the need of clarification and deliberately apologises to the family

for his flaws. As praised by Green in his review, “for the most part Mr. Levenson’s

book sensitively explores Evan’s predicament” (Green).

Portrayal of the adversity faced by Diana Goodman with

bipolar-depressive disorder in ​Next to Normal

The disheartened situation that a bipolar patient is placed into when they feel

that others can barely understand them, is vividly expressed in the lyrics of many

songs sung by Diana in ​Next to Normal.​ In the song “You don’t know” of the first act,

Diana and her husband Dan are having a heightened conversation on the usefulness

of the drugs prescribed by Doctor Fine. Though Dan tries to speak sympathetically,

Diana questions his understanding of her disorder. She expresses her animosity

towards the way she is affected when she sings, “The sensation that you’re

screaming / But you never make a sound, / Or the feeling that you’re falling / But you

never hit the ground—” (Yorkey 33). The use of antithesis in this quote delivers a

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sense of contradiction and unclarity, thus can be interpreted to be related to the

complexity and unpredictability of Diana’s condition which she has not managed to

escape from. In the quote, the character expresses her helplessness towards the

condition that does not seem to end, “screaming” yet can “never make a sound”,

“falling” yet can “never hit the ground”, which symbolise that she cannot cease the

disorder with self-expectation. Moreover, the use of a dash “—” instead of a full stop

or a comma adds to the idea of continuity and ambiguity of the disorder. When Diana

refers to herself as “Like a refugee, a fugitive / forever on the run…” (Yorkey 33), her

ultimate irritation is further portrayed. The simile which compares the speaker who is

a patient, with “a refugee” and “a fugitive” suggests the strong hostility the speaker

has towards her own illness, as it connotes that the patient is trying to escape from

her current circumstances and looking for a change in her life. The word “forever”

shows her hopelessness, looking at the disorder as an evergoing burden. The

phrase “on the run” expresses that she is highly intimidated and tired of the disorder

and its effects; it also connotes the idea that the disorder is exploiting her energy and

forces her brain to constantly operate at a high intensity.

In the second act, when Diana’s memory has eventually returned after being

temporarily lost as a side-effect of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), she rants to

Doctor Madden about her doubt on the effectiveness of such treatment. Her

rhetorical question, “What happens if the cut, the burn, the break / Was never in my

brain or in my blood / But in my soul?” (Yorkey 90), depicts her confusion and

minimal understanding about her own circumstances. Her suffering is further

highlighted when she suggests the foul to be not in the “brain” or the “blood”, but in

her “soul”, which implies that the harm done onto her is beyond physical, but very

much leaves a spiritual impact as well. The abstractness of the “soul” also indicates

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the notion that the damage can hardly be measured, and the condition can hardly be

cured. Furthermore, the regret she has for failing to be an inspirational and helpful

mother also adds to the illustration of hardships faced by the mentally challenged in

the text. In the song “Maybe (Next to Normal)”, Diana confesses wholeheartedly on

her shortcomings and sympathizes with Natalie by referring to herself as “a mother

who just couldn’t cope” (Yorkey 90). The words “just couldn’t” imply that she has

tried her best but failed. The word “cope” suggests that perhaps the circumstances

that she is in change, making it difficult to get used to and function with ease under

the condition. The portrayal of Diana as a patient whose disorder seems to be taking

her to nowhere, as a helpless recipient of multiple forms of treatment that do not

seem to do their work, as well as a regretful mother gives a picture of how a

middle-aged individual can be affected by poor mental health.

Portrayal of the adversity faced by Evan Hansen in ​Dear Evan

Hansen,​ and the comparison of such to that faced by Diana

Goodman in ​Next to Normal

The constant solitude that Evan Hansen is enclosed in by his social anxiety

disorder is significantly portrayed in the song, “Waving Through a Window”, in Act

One Scene One of ​Dear Evan Hansen.​ In page 18, he sings the line “I try to speak

but nobody can hear” (Levenson et al. 18), expressing his disappointment and

melancholy he experiences within his own loneliness. The word “try” suggests the

extraordinary difficulty faced by Evan and the word "nobody” connotes to a

depressing and hopeless tone. A very similar motif to “screaming” yet can “never

make a sound” presented by Diana is as well conveyed by Evan Hansen in this

same song. In page 20, he sings his question, “When you’re falling in a forest / And

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nobody is around / Do you ever really crash / Or even make a sound?” (Levenson et

al. 20), which adds to the idea that he is unwillingly isolated in his own zone. The

questions he posts deliver a tone of doubt and self-disapproval, as he does not only

doubt whether or not anyone else is on his side, but also on whether or not he has

made himself perceivable to other people. In addition, the approach practiced by

Heidi is juxtaposed ironically with Evan’s expectation of the ideal, which introduces

the conflict between the two. In his mind, his mother barely understands him, and

treats him with an alienated viewpoint. In Act Two Scene Seven, Heidi states that

she “thought” (Levenson et al. 134) she knew Evan. However, this is strongly

opposed by Evan when he says, “What do you know about me? You don’t know

anything about me. You never even see me” (Levenson et al. 134). The application

of rhetorical questioning, like the other examples mentioned previously in this essay,

is used to convey an idea of disbelief and doubt. Evan is so assertive on his own

thought that he doesn’t even allow room for the imagination of other replies, but in a

straightforward manner states that his mother has little knowledge of him. The

direction of speech to “you” delivers a demeaning tone. The way Evan truly hopes to

be treated is revealed when he says, referring to the Murphys that, “They like me […]

That they don’t think that I’m, that there’s something wrong with me, that I need to be

fixed, like you do” (Levenson et al. 134). Evan hopes that others, including his own

mother, to expect and think of him to be on par with his peers. The words “something

wrong” have a negative connotation, and can be seen as a result of Evan’s lack of

confidence, as well as his high awareness of his own disability, which can be

interpreted as side effects of therapy and medication that keep reminding one of their

own deficiencies. The phrase “need to be fixed” implies an urgent need to be

corrected, and indicates the speaker’s unwillingness to be looked at with a special

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eye. A pessimistic tone of blame is delivered in this quote, which contributes to the

idea that the patient does not want to be labeled as someone different. This can be

viewed as a similar situation that Diana is in, and her desperation to get away from

her disorder.

Characterisation of Dan and Natalie Goodman in ​Next to Normal

suggesting the challenges they face

The way neurotypical individuals around Diana are portrayed provides

valuable information on the writers’ perspective on mental disorders. Characters in

Next to Normal often express their despair of Diana’s disorder through questioning.

In the song “Who’s crazy?”, Dan expresses his disappointment in the situation as he

questions, “Who’s crazy? To live their whole life / Believing that somehow / things

aren’t as bizarre as they are?” (Yorkey 17). This shows that he is doubtful not only

on the situation that he is in, but also on his own thoughts. The word “whole” exhibits

the use of hyperbole, and to a high extent contributes to the idea of frustration. The

word “bizarre” presents an attitude of disgust towards “things”, and the diction, as

seen in the use of “things”, used as a representation of Diana’s situation and its

impacts, delivers an attitude of carelessness that may be a result of disappointment

and irritation.

Diana’s daughter, Natalie, begins in the first act as a helpless teenager

unsure of what approach to adopt to in her circumstances. This is evident in Act

Two, when she is talking to her boyfriend Henry, “Hey, I am under ​stress.​ My mom is

in a hospital being electrocuted” (Yorkey 59). The tone of this quote is sarcastic, as

suggested by the use of the word “​stress”​ in italics and the word “electrocuted”. It is

meant to be spoken in a way as if an obvious fact is being stated and that the

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speaker is giving an explanation about her unusual habit of going to clubs after

midnight together with her consumption of drugs. Her concern and worries are

shown in the song “Maybe (Next to Normal)”, when she confesses to Diana that, “For

all those years I prayed that / You’d go away for good— / Half the time afraid that /

You really would” (Yorkey 93), expressing her contradictory emotions evoked by

witnessing her mother’s condition. Her attitude towards her mother’s situation seems

to be more understanding towards the end of the text, depicted when she explicitly

tells Diana that “I don’t need a life that’s normal— / That’s way too far away. But

something next to normal / Would be okay” (Yorkey 94), It is worthy to note that in

the characters breakdown section of the script, Natalie is described as “trying to be

perfect” (Yorkey 4). The contrast between the character Natalie delivered in the

beginning of the plot and that delivered towards the end of the plot shows that

Natalie’s acceptance of her mother’s abnormalities has grown and she is willing to

back down, showing more empathy and assurance to her mother.

​ uggesting the
Characterisation of Heidi in ​Dear Evan Hansen s

challenges she faces

Similarly, in ​Dear Evan Hansen​, the theme of despair and doubt is

prominently portrayed by Evan’s mother, Heidi, who cares about his social anxiety.

As a full-time working single mom, Heidi’s anxiousness is first shown in Act One

Scene One, in the song “​Anybody has a Map”​, in which she questions about her

approach to her son’s disorder. After “realizing that this interaction” (Levenson et al.

11) with her son which breaks apart the song “has been an utter failure” (Levenson

et al. 11), as suggested by the stage directions, the character sings “Another stellar

conversation for the scrapbook / Another stumble as I am reaching for / The right

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word to say / Well, I’m kinda comin’ up empty / Can’t find my way to you” (Levenson

et al. 11). This quote shows the desperation of Heidi to connect with her son, yet

highlights the difficulty of such in real life. The word “another” indicates that such

failure of communication is precedent in the relationship between the two characters,

and the word “stellar” can imply more than one interpretation. On one hand, it can

connote to the idea of outer space which suggests the extraordinary distance

between the parent and the child. On the other hand, the word can be seen as used

to illustrate irony towards the speaker herself, as a way to mock herself on her

unsuccessful attempt. The word “stumble” suggests the character’s anxiousness,

while “reaching” suggests the hardships she has to overcome when looking for “the

right word”, which again indicates that Heidi is being cautious and intentious in her

parental talk. The way she describes herself as “comin’ up empty” shows that she is

discouraged and not at all confident with her approaches, as she “can’t find” her

“way” to Evan. Later in the song, Heidi brings up a question, “Does anybody have a

map?” (Levenson et al. 11). This depicts Heidi’s desperation to navigate her way to

understanding more about her son, as suggested by the word “map”, a metaphor for

the spiritual guidance and accompaniment that she is seeking for in the parental

process. This idea is strengthened by the repetition of the motif in a later part of the

song, “So where’s the map?” (Levenson et al. 11), showing that Heidi is trying to

make sense of the situation that she is in, just as how Dan tries justifying his

situation with Diana.

Heidi’s concern and desperation of knowing her son better is further

presented in Act Two Scene Two. Having realised that Evan might have been

concealing something from her and showing little effort in maintaining a healthy

relationship with her, she questions “What is going on with you? / You need to talk to

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me. You need to communicate with me.” (Levenson et al. 107) in a way which shows

that she is “increasingly desperate” (Levenson et al. 107), as suggested by the stage

directions. The directness of the speech and the use of a rhetorical question suggest

the speaker’s diminishment of patience, followed by two commanding sentences.

Starting the sentence with the word “you” gives a strong sense of who the speech is

directed to and thus adds to the effectiveness of the commands. The words “need to”

shows determination and precision on what exactly Heidi wants to be done, and the

use of the word “me” shows that the speaker is desperate to almost a selfish extent

and does not take into the consideration of opinions other than those of her own. The

concern Heidi has for Evan, is further highlighted in the musical in Act Two Scene

Seven, when she learns that she has been kept from the fact that Evan has been

spending much time at another family in which he feels being a part of. With the use

of a rhetorical question, “Do you have any idea how ​mortifying it is?” (Levenson et al.

133), Heidi expresses her immediate fear of losing her relationship with Evan, as

well as her assumption of the lack of understanding and empathy she receives from

her son. Moreover, the word “​mortifying”​ in italics emphasizes that the speaker sees

this idea as extremely terrifying and damaging. These details can be interpreted as

evidences that suggest the hardships faced by caregivers of young people

diagnosed with mental health conditions.

Portrayal of the lack of compassion Doctor Fine has for Diana in

Next to Normal

To highlight the lack of understanding Diana receives from non-members of

her family, the writers of ​Next to Normal c​ ontrast the legitimate concern of the

diagnosed patient and her family, with an outsider’s point of view. Diana’s

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psychopharmacologist Doctor Fine is a perfect example of a character with an

attitude of indifference and a lack of compassion towards the patient. This may be a

feature applied by the text creators to evoke reflection among the audience on how

the mentally ill are sometimes being treated with little care in the society. As a

healthcare professional, Doctor Fine is expected to be a person with a heart.

However, during his first appearance in the musical, he acts “rumpled and

world-weary” (Yorkey 16) according to the stage directions. The adjectives suggest

that he carries with him negative emotions and fatigue to work, having little

awareness for professionalism. The phrase “world-weary” depicts Doctor Fine’s lack

of interest and the little willingness and passion he has in offering assistance to a

patient in need. His attitude of apathy in his work is further highlighted in his first

lines of speech, in page 16, when he starts with giving instructions on prescribed

medications with a detached tone. The speech starts with “The pink ones are taken

with food but not with the white ones. The white ones are taken with the bright yellow

ones but not with the triangle yellow ones. The triangle yellow ones are taken with

food but not with the oblong green ones” (Yorkey 16). The intimidated effects created

by the structure of the sentences and the bombardment of information suggest the

little care Doctor Fine shows about Diana. The paucity of room for thought and

response from the recipient of the speech depicts that he is an impatient character

who is not an ideal listener. Following the instructions is a dramatic shift of topic, “If a

train is leaving New York at a hundred and twenty miles an hour and another train is

leaving St. Petersburg at the same time but going backwards, which train…” (Yorkey

16) This quote can be interpreted beyond its literal meaning. “A train” delivers a

connotation of something of a high speed, and the fact that “another train” joins in

suggests conflict and competition. Irony against the speaker is as well evident with

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the sudden change of subject matter, which indicates that his presentation has little

effectiveness to the listener, either driving Diana’s attention away or being perceived

as too complicated to be comprehended with ease.

Portrayal of the lack of compassion Jared has for Evan in ​Dear

Evan Hansen

In ​Dear Evan Hansen​, the lack of empathy of an outsider is demonstrated by

friends of the protagonist, Jared being one of them. As clarified by Jared that he and

Evan are only “family friends” (Levenson et al. 16) because Jared want’s to get his

driver’s license, he does not show much empathy or concern for Evan throughout the

musical. In Act One Scene One, when Evan tells him that he fell from a tree during

the summer, what he instantly replies is a statement of pure mockery, “You fell out of

a tree? What are you, like, an acorn?” (Levenson et al. 16). The tone contributed by

the consecutive use of rhetorical questions, as well as the informality of the content

suggests the little respect he has for Evan. Throughout the musical, Jared keeps

emphasizing on the nature of their relationship. In Act Two Scene Two, when Jared

talks about meeting with his camp friends, he adds, “Or, as I like to call them: my real

friends” (Levenson et al. 104), delivering a sarcastic tone that belittles his “friendship”

with Evan. The idea is again suggested in Scene Seven of the same act, when Jared

points out to Evan that “you should remember who your friends are” (Levenson et al.

136). Such lack of empathy suggests how individuals with mental disorders can be

abandoned or neglected by even people who has a certain amount of knowledge of

them, and are considered friends in their minds.

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Conclusion

By showcasing the challenges faced by individuals with mental health

conditions and their families through the theatrical stage, creators Brian Yorkey and

Tom Kitt of ​Next to Normal​, and Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of

Dear Evan Hansen effectively draw the attention of the audience and readers to this

minority community. The characterisation of a bipolar-depressive mother and her

caring family in the first work, and the characterisation of a high school student with

social anxiety disorder and her concerned mother in the latter work, are in stark

contrast with the characterisation of the psychopharmacologist who cares little about

his patient Diana’s emotional state, and the “family friend” Jared who puts no effort

into understanding the psychological needs of Evan or lightening up his heart. Such

characterisation through the lyrics of the songs, dialogues between characters, as

well as the stage directions, creates a strong effect in presenting the message that

individuals with mental disorders, along with their family and caretakers, can face a

lot of challenges presented by their mental conditions, and may sometimes be turned

away by other members of the society. The emergence of theatrical works on the

​ nd ​Dear Evan Hansen,​ n

an evidence of how modern society’s awareness and understanding of such

community has grown, but most importantly, plays a significant role in the advocacy

for individuals affected by different forms of mental disorders.

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Works Cited List

Dziemianowicz, Joe. “The High & Low Notes of a Bipolar Mom in 'Next to Normal' -
NY Daily News.” ​New York Daily News,​ New York Daily News, 13 Feb. 2008,
www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/high-notes-bipolar-mom-nor
mal-article-1.306721.

Green, Jesse. “Review: 'Dear Evan Hansen' Has a New Evan, and a New Balance.”
The New York Times,​ 2 Mar. 2018, p. C4,
www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/theater/dear-evan-hansen-cast-change-taylor-t
rensch-review.html.

Grohol, John. “Mental Disorders & Conditions - DSM.” ​Psych Central​, Psych Central,
24 July 2018, psychcentral.com/disorders/.

Kitt, Tom, and Brian Yorker. ​Next to Normal.​ Theatre Communications Group, 2010.

Levenson, Steven, et al. ​Dear Evan Hansen.​ Theatre Communications Group, 2017.

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