And, not for nothing, but:

If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to struggle with mental illness or love someone who does, watch this scene from a musical I've seen several times (it's on Broadway now and played off Broadway a year or so ago) about a mother who's bipolar. It's just a crappy bootleg (like, to the extent that you can hear someone dig the camera out of their bag before it starts). I think it's important to watch because it cements my belief that musical theater is necessary and important, and that there are some stories that can only be told as musicals.

But what's more, I think it's ESSENTIAL that people living with mental illness have their stories told and honored and respected and LISTENED TO. And I think it's equally important that people who aren't impacted are given the chance TO listen. And that's not something that happens all that often. And that makes me very, very sad.

I'm extremely, extremely gratified that this is a show that's getting attention, and that Alice Ripley (who's the woman in the video) is being commended for her work in it. It's so evident in her performance that she respects the role she's playing and is committed to telling her story, and I don't think I can overstate how much that means to me.