Normal welcomes panelists for post-show discussions

 Cast of Normal: the Musical at the Patel Conservatory, from left to right:
Hannah Rashbaum, Jamie Jones, Maggie Mularz and Lucy Gutierrez

Parents and teenagers, mark your calendars for our PCYT production of Normal: the Musical on June 29 and 30, 2012.

The rock musical is about how a family deals with their teenager’s eating disorder. While it tackles some tough topics in a fun and entertaining way, it also serves as a platform to help teens address stress. The show was adapted specifically for educational school productions.

To that end, following each performance, there will be a talkback discussion with medical professionals and members of the Conservatory creative team.

“The post-show discussions will be geared towards discussing larger issues in the musical’s content, such as stress-management, and what has become ‘normalized’ in today's culture in terms of self-care, or lack thereof,” said assistant director Matthew Belopavlovich.

Joining us for the talkbacks will be local medical professionals Elisha Contner, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist; Kourtney Gordon, from Fairwinds Treatment Center; and Johanna Kandel, founder and CEO of the Alliance for Eating Disorders.


In addition to the post-show talkbalks, Kandel will speak prior to Saturday night’s performance.

Kandel is the author of Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder. She will speak about her personal struggle with an eating disorder and road to recovery at 6 p.m. on Sat., June 30, 2012.


The educational panels are provided by the Normal non-profit organization which strives to educate families and teens about eating disorders, self-esteem and body image through arts and mindfulness programs.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and share in an open dialogue about universal issues that affect today’s teens.

The show runs Fri., June 29 at 4 and 7 p.m., and Sat., June 30 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center in downtown Tampa. Regularly priced tickets start at $8.

For more about the show, click here.

For tickets, click here, or call 813.229.STAR (7827).