INTERVIEW: Writer Adina Taubman on her journey toward recovery
Photo: Adina Taubman is the writer and performer of The Road Back. Photo courtesy of Padraic Lillis / Provided by Emily Owens PR with permission.
The new off-Broadway show The Road Back has a subtitle that sums up the narrative of the piece for the audience: One Woman’s Journey From Depression to Recovery. That woman is Adina Taubman, the writer and performer of the play, which continues performances through May 15 at the Chain Theatre in New York City. The production comes to the Big Apple courtesy of the Chrysalis Theatre Company.
The story that is told centers on Taubman’s experiences of depression more than a dozen years ago. She is open with the audience about that time in her life, and she uses humor and honesty to convey her thoughts and the different chapters of the narrative, according to press notes. Along the way, she also offers helpful tips to those assembled at the Chain Theatre, ultimately making The Road Back a positive show that attempts to help others by sharing details of one journey from depression to recovery.
Assisting Taubman in the telling of this story is director Padraic Lillis, who previously collaborated with the writer-performer on A Line in the Sand. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Taubman about The Road Back. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can audience members expect from The Road Back?
Audiences can expect a window into the experience of having mental illness and finding ways to recover from it, manage it and go on to live a meaningful life. The story is told with humor and honesty. It’s uplifting.
Were you immediately open to the idea of sharing such personal stories and insights with the public?
It took a while. I recovered from my depressive episode in 2010, and I didn’t begin writing the play until 2015. It took me four years to finish it. When Padraic and I did the workshop production in New York in 2019, I was nervous to see what my friends and colleagues would think of my story. It was definitely a courageous leap for me.
Do you believe the piece can help those in the audience who may be living with depression?
Absolutely. When I tell my story, I give others permission to tell their stories. They don’t have to do it publicly, as I am, but seeing me tell my story will hopefully make them feel better about telling their friends and loved ones what they’ve gone through. This is how we break stigma, which is one of my reasons for doing the play — the reason that is most meaningful to me.
Also, there are many recovery treatments and skills that I share in the play that really helped me, and they can be helpful to other people struggling with depression.
Do you believe theater has the power to help? Heal? Add to the conversation?
Yes, I do! Theater is immediate. We are all in the same room together, breathing together, even if it’s behind a mask, and we get to share a human experience together in real time. Theater has the power to change people’s hearts and minds. I do believe it’s healing.
And this play adds to a conversation about mental health that we really need right now. After two years of this pandemic, and no sign that it’s over, we need to talk about how it has affected all of us. Before the pandemic, not everyone understood what it means to struggle with depression and anxiety. After living through the past two years, I think we all have experienced it to some degree.
What’s it like working with Padraic Lillis?
Padraic is great. He’s a wonderful director and creative partner. He also helped me to develop the script for The Road Back. With his guidance and feedback, I was able to focus on what I wanted to say in the play and find the most essential story that I needed to tell.
Padraic and I have collaborated together for almost 20 years. We worked on my other solo show, A Line in the Sand, about the Columbine High School massacre, which I toured in high schools and theater festivals for many years.
Padraic is a mensch and a friend. We laugh a lot in rehearsals, and he knows how to get me to be more specific in my acting.
In short, he’s the best.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Road Back: One Woman’s Journey From Depression to Recovery, written and performed by Adina Taubman, plays through May 15 at the Chain Theatre in New York City. The production, directed by Padraic Lillis, is presented by the Chrysalis Theatre Company. Click here for more information and tickets.
