What we’re about
A Light in Dark Places: A Collection of Plays for Hope is a play festival that seeks to bring understanding to the topic of suicide, raise awareness of the signs to look for, and to give hope to those struggling with mental illness and/or thoughts of suicide. Suicide affects too many lives, and yet it's often thought of as too dark or taboo to talk about. The stigma is slowly disappearing, but there's still much work to be done. With these plays, we want to open up discussion, build community, and reach out to remind people that we are not alone, and that it is okay to not be okay. Help is attainable. Healing is possible. Things can get better. There is always hope.
A Light in Dark Places started in the Spring of 2016 with an idea to use theater as a means to reach out to those whose lives have been affected by suicide. We wanted to create a community that breaks isolation, one where there is no stigma about suicide or mental illness and where reaching out for help feels safe and even necessary.
There were many steps and discoveries along the way, but what we ultimately put together was a play festival made up of five original short plays that worked together to bring about awareness, understanding, and hope. We partnered with the Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre - Los Angeles for the venue, actors and directors and Playground-LA for the playwrights.
The production ran for one weekend in the beginning of September. Each performance was followed by a Q&A and reception where we could connect and process the show together. It was a beautiful and humbling experience, and one that we were able to keep open to all. In order to do this, we decided that tickets were to be donation based with all proceeds donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention who gave us guidance and support along the way.
A Light in Dark Places was our contribution to National Suicide Prevention Week, and we were successful. We had talented people donating themselves to bring this project to life, and we had a supportive audience that grew each night. We were successful because we had people coming together to support this message of hope and prevention. Our 2016 Production was our first attempt and will serve as the foundation for all of our future productions in the years to come.
