Local actor and comedian excited for first Variety Night for Mental Health

“I moved to P.A. just a couple years ago from Saskatoon and I’ve lived in quite a few places around North America, but I couldn’t get over how amazing those in the theatre community are on supporting each other and stuff like that.”

Not long after his move to Prince Albert, Byers auditioned for the Spark Productions performance of The Full Monty. He said he became good friends with the other men in that play and built a community where he felt okay to talk about his issues with mental health.

“It’s something very passionate because I have suffered with mental health issues and so to me, it is important that we get out and speak about it because we don’t talk about it.”

From there, the conversations turned to the possibility of hosting a Variety Night. That’s where Off The Cuff Improv came into the picture, who were excited about the opportunity.

Andreanna Boucher with the club said not only will the night be a chance for people to laugh and enjoy themselves but also to raise awareness that mental health is still a big issue in society.

“We’re so much better about talking about it now and acknowledging how important taking care of mental health is than we were even like 20 or 30 years ago, but we still have a long way to go. There’s still a stigma around it,” she said.

Boucher added that the rise in social media usage and information and news always at people’s fingertips can have a negative toll on mental health.

Having gone through her struggles in the past, Boucher welcomes the Variety Night and the message it will bring.

“I just think it’s something that definitely needs to be discussed and we need to support and love each other,” she said. “And laughing is good for you so, it seems like a good pairing.”

The non-profit group, Love My Mind out of Saskatoon will also be on hand for the Variety Night, selling their apparel and letting others know what they are about.

The organization was founded by the Anderson family in memory of Mark Anderson, who suffered from depression and alcohol addiction. Mark took his life in November of 2018.

Love My Mind raises funds to promote and spread awareness for mental health and fund smaller projects related to suicide prevention, addiction, and other related illnesses.

Byers, who knows Darren Anderson from Love My Mind is excited to partner with the group for the Variety Night.

He said that as more people talk about mental health issues, the less silence and darkness there will be for those suffering.

“It’s OK to speak. It’s OK to talk. It’s OK to talk to anyone even if it’s not someone you know, just to talk to somebody about what’s going on and realize, you’re not alone because so many of us feel that we’re alone when we’re dealing with these issues,” said Byers.

“People are struggling out there and to try to be understanding as a community and understand. Just to be a little more kind and that it’s ok to have these conversations and that’s kind of what I’d like the message, I’d like to get out there because it helped me a lot just by talking.”

Tickets for the Mental Health Variety Night are sold out and proceeds from the ticket sales, the cash bar and pizza at the show will go to Love My Mind.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Craddock

Local actor and comedian excited for first Variety Night for Mental Health

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