LAUGHTER AND HEALING

Dan Potter and the Second Step Players

  Last night, Delycia and I took special delight in a holiday production by The Second Step Players at the Donald Oat Theater in Norwich, CT. As their brochure states, this group “has been writing and performing conscious comedy for social change since 1985, opening minds and healing hearts by increasing positive perceptions of people who have mental illnesses” -- and last night they gave us smiles and laughter and lots of positive perceptions. À la “Saturday Night Live”, they poked fun at the holiday season, and also at the mental illnesses many of them struggle with. I was astonished by the honesty and bravery of the performers as they laughed at their own afflictions. They seemed grateful to be giving the gift of laughter to the audience, and, most importantly, to themselves. If laughter is the best medicine, much healing happened last night, both on the stage and in the audience. (The show plays again tonight and tomorrow night, at 7:30. We strongly recommend it.)