Saddleback Theatre Department’s “Next to Normal”

The cast of Saddleback’s production of “Next to Normal.” | Steven Wylie

Emotional. That seems to be the one word audiences leave with when having watched Saddleback College’s production of the musical “Next to Normal.” 

The show centers around grief, loss, and mental illness, highlighting the effects such heavy emotions have on a family. As heavy as these topics are, the theatre department tackled the show with elegance and class, utilizing the skill of their actors, detailed staging, and strategic lighting and blocking to leave a lasting impact on audience members. 

Audience members very evidently enjoyed the end product, one audience member Ava Johnstone, a future Saddleback student, expressed her appreciation. 

“I loved how the actors really put a lot of effort into their roles,” she said. “I really became invested in each one of their stories.”

She also praised the cast as a whole, saying they are obviously incredibly good at what they do.   

An additional audience member, Aleisy Vanderpot, a business major, described the show as unique.

“The show explored uncharted territories within topics that are often ignored or not given enough attention,” she said. “Many scenes moved me in such an emotional way and stayed with me.” 

A major theme in this musical is mental health, and Vanderpot went on to express great admiration at the way it was portrayed and the way it instilled a sense of community within such isolating emotions, in this specific rendition of the musical. 

“Even though I can’t directly relate to those specific troubles, I too have felt times in my life where everything feels hopeless,” she said. 

She emphasized that she finds it important that mental health struggles are not taken lightly, because they are something very real that people go through, so she appreciated the way the theatre department tackled such a relevant issue. 

Saddleback’s rendition of “Next to Normal” did not win such significant praise arbitrarily; the emotional impact of the show traveled beyond audiences and into the rehearsal room to truly create an authentic performance. 

Hannah Sheehy, who portrayed Natalie, provided some insight into the rehearsal and production process and what it was like bringing her character to life. 

According to the actress, rehearsals began on March 3 and lasted around two months. She described the production process as collaborative and deeply analytical. 

The cast first completed a full read-through of the script, going scene by scene to get an overview of the show and the intended vision for the final product, allowing the actors to truly gain a deep understanding of their character, as Sheehy put it. 

Sheehy described Natalie as independent, attempting to deal with heavy issues and failing to manage.

“She’s an introverted perfectionist who tries to cope with her family problems but fails,” Sheehy said. 

She explained that throughout the show Natalie spends most of it simply trying to survive emotionally while feeling invisible even within her own family. She struggles with neglect, anger, loneliness, and eventually turns to drugs as a way of coping after continuously feeling unseen.

Sheehy really enjoyed delving into her character’s complexity, explaining that she related to some of the feelings Natalie experiences especially “what it’s like to not feel seen or just trying to get by,” she said. 

However, she did highlight the importance of maintaining healthy boundaries while performing, especially in a show as heavy as this. In order to do this, she chooses to focus on understanding her character deeply rather than reliving her own experiences. 

Sheehy also credited the chemistry of the cast as a whole for strengthening the emotional delivery of the show. 

“We are all on the same wavelength,” she said, explaining how the strong bond of the cast off stage contributed to the strong performance on stage, making scenes feel more authentic. 

In the end, Saddleback Theatre Department’s production of the musical “Next to Normal” succeeded as both a great form of entertainment and a way to start an important conversation surrounding grief and mental health struggles. Through authentic storytelling, excellent stage design, and emotional performances, the cast crafted a production that stayed with audiences long after the stage lights dimmed. 

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