Suicide, mental illness and Twitter

Watching from a comfortable seat a few rows back from the front at Sudbury Theatre Centre, playwright Mathew Heiti said it was “great, but sort of terrifying” to watch his production of Black Dog: 4 Vs the World come together.

The writer is rarely in a place where he can sit back and watch his work come alive on stage, under someone else's direction, especially since Black Dog tackles a pretty dark and heavy topic: teen suicide.

However, the story is told in a way that offers promise and hope to those who watch. It's not meant to be a depressing experience. Instead, it's a story filled with love and humour.

“We all have hope for these kids the whole show,” Heiti said, as director Judi Straughan put actors through their paces. The show's five characters — played by final-year students at Sudbury Secondary School — suffer from various mental disorders in this “100-per-cent homegrown” play.

“We try never to name anything in the show,” Heiti said. “We want these character to live beyond labels.”

The issues the students deal with are relevant to what local teens face. An extensive amount of research went into the play, Heiti said. He spoke to police, mental health agencies and other groups to find out what Sudbury kids are actually dealing with.

“These are the specific issues (for) Sudbury teens,” Heiti said.

The story, in fact, was inspired by a local teen. The senior student from Sudbury Secondary was doing a placement at STC when she broke down from the strain of a mental disorder.

“The person that started this whole thing happening is actually a friend of (the student actors),” said Straughan, STC's education co-ordinator and director of Black Dog.

The production begins a few months after Character 1 kills himself. He leaves behind a younger sister.

Morgan St. Onge plays Character 2. She said her character is a shy, quiet girl “trying to cope with her brother's death.”

“Basically, the whole show, she's trying to figure out the black dog her brother spoke about,” St. Onge said.

Her brother, played by Christian Williams, haunts the other characters on stage.
“He was such a good student,” St. Onge said. “They were talking about how cool he was.”

He was an average teen who didn't come home from a walk one day.

Michael Boyce, who plays Character 3, said teens will appreciate the play because it's so real.

“I think everyone can relate to these characters,” Boyce said. “You meet people every day who are coping with life in different ways. You see these kids every day in school.”

Together, Characters 2 and 3 join forces with Characters 4 and 5, played by April Perrin and Jake Deeth, to become the Black Dog 4. Together, they can overcome the struggles they face.

Heiti said it wasn't too difficult to give up creative control to Straughan. After all, she taught him what he knows. Heiti was once a student of Straughan's at Sudbury Secondary School, where his passion for theatre was born.

It's like coming full circle, he said. Heiti said he always wanted to find his way back to the secondary school, so he could offer students the same great experience.

It's not all traditional learning, though.

Another element of Black Dog that helps the production embrace young audiences is its cellphones-on policy.

“Heiti has written a play about teens, for teens,” Straughan said. “The characters live on their smart phones, worry about their images and are sure their parents and teachers have no clue about real life.

"He even asks teens in the audience to leave their phones on during the show and tweet to the Black Dog Twitter account any time they wish.”

Follow @BlackDogSTC.

The production got the nod from Greater Sudbury Police Service, because it's a topic that will help teens in the long run. As such, GSPS is sponsoring the play.

There are two open screenings of the production, taking place April 6 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. All other shows are for school audiences.

Prices are $15 for students and $23 for adults and seniors. Tickets are available online or by calling the Sudbury Theatre Centre at 705-674-8381.