Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz.
Musicals about mental illness are a lucrative artistic trend in theatre. And these productions are breaking new ground with their honest, entertaining portrayals of disorders that 1 in 5 Americans live with. Depicting these disorders help audiences better understand common challenges to mental health, but it can also take a toll on the actors. We check in on what it takes to suffer with mental illness on stage night after night, and talk about how theater uniquely treads into provocative territory in ways film and TV can’t.