Local theater arts bringing mental health awareness to Bozeman

BOZEMAN — In association with MSU Active Minds and Suffer Out Loud, Everything Brilliant Thing is a play about depression and love. And it's coming soon to the MSU Strand ballroom.

"It’s a show that I think everybody needs to see. It’s about a lot of difficult things, but beautiful things as well," says producer of the show, Lila Michael.

Michael says the show concerns difficult topics like suicide. To help bring awareness to this, they partnered with Suffer Out Loud, a local nonprofit.

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"We started Suffer Out Loud in 2019 to reduce the suicide rate in Montana. Just seeing that Montana continues to rank at the top for suicide rates in the nation," says founder Cassie Jackson.

Jackson says Montana has ranked at the top in suicide rates for nearly 40 years. Factors like high elevation, vitamin D deficiency, and stigma are leading factors.

"Montanans are seen as we’re tough and we’re independent, and we can handle anything, but the reality is it takes a lot of strength to reach out and ask for help. So, we’re trying to change that stigma," says Jackson.

Actor Hugh Burroughs tells me the story is relatable to all audiences, featuring a person who is faced with multiple life challenges.

"And as a way to cope, what he does as a little kid is he writes a list of all the brilliant things he can think of. Ice cream, roller coasters, people falling over—those kinds of stuff. And then when he’s a teenager, and as an adult, he rediscovers this list and in those times in his life it means something different," says Burroughs.

Hugh says they’ve been rehearsing for 8 months, diving deep into the script. One he says is not just the best he’s ever worked with, but his last before heading to grad school.

"It’s bittersweet that it’s going to be my last one here, but there’s not a script that I would rather have been my last thing before I head off," Burroughs says.

"It’s a beautiful story and I think any opportunity for people to organically come out and start conversations around mental health is huge," says Jackson.

"In the play, we hear it happens to all of us, and I think that’s really true, and what’s really special about this character and this whole show," says Burroughs.

To hear more about Suffer Out Loud, visit the website .
Buy tickets for Every Brilliant Thing here .

If you or someone you know is in crisis or thinking about self-harm or suicide, there is help available. Call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Bozeman Help Center.