Health

Pueblo County High play about suicide awareness wins Mental Health America award – Pueblo Chieftain

A suicide awareness play produced by the Arts Academy at Pueblo County High School was awarded the inaugural Youth Mental Health Champion award at Mental Health America of Pueblo’s Robert Hawkins Tribute Dinner on Sept. 16.

Mental Health America recognized student cast members and Arts Academy at Pueblo County High consulting producer Roxanne Pignanelli for their contributions to youth mental health advocacy through their production of the play “No One Hears Unless You Scream.”

Pignanelli introduced the play to Pueblo County High School in 2017. The original play was written New Jersey playwright and educator Joey Madia.

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“It’s amazing to be that representation for people who struggle, because life can be really hard,” Pueblo County High School junior and cast member Addison Doub said. “It throws a lot of different things at you, that can be difficult, especially at our age.”

Since “No One Hears Unless You Scream” was introduced to Pueblo County High, the show has undergone three script rewrites. Some revisions were made to address modern issues impacting teen mental health, like the bullying of LGBTQ students, eating disorders and isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This project is one of my favorites because it shows that the arts and theater are not only entertainment, but rather a tool to advocate for social justice, therefore validating it in funding and importance,” director Taylor Gilman said. “I think that can be forgotten by a lot of districts, just how big of a role the arts can play, not only in our society as this billion dollar industry … but as a form of healing, connection and communication.”

Pueblo County High junior Alora Spence plays Laurie, a teen girl struggling with drug addiction. Over the course of the play, Laurie’s addiction leads to her mental health getting progressively worse, and she eventually decides to contact a suicide prevention hotline.

“You will be (performing), and one person, even if it’s just one, they will get something out of it,” Spence said. “They will reach out to somebody, they will get help for themselves or somebody else. I think it’s really cool.”

Kaden Gonzalez, a senior, plays Scott, a young boy who is afraid his parents will no longer accept him if they find out he is gay.

“Just seeing … problems kids my age have sometimes, it really means a lot to perform for them and show them that there is help … I think my favorite messaging from the show is that ‘It’s OK to not be OK,'” Gonzalez said.

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The Arts Academy at Pueblo County High will host a free showing of “No One Hears Unless You Scream” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 inside Pueblo Community College’s Hoag Theater.

On Oct. 29, students will perform in Colorado Springs along with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. The venue for the Colorado Springs show has not yet been determined.

“Our next step is to once again work with the students, and work with some mental health professionals to expand this project into a curriculum,” Gilman said. “That way, we can take the play to a school and then give the teacher or building administrator sort of guidelines of how they can keep the conversation going after the play has been presented.”

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com