dog is the world premiere debut play alongside community panels from the queer playwright Shayne and is one of the first play's about OCD and addiction in Australia at KXT on Broadway from May 24 until June 8.
The play that shatters misconceptions around invisible disability and depicts mental ill health and addiction with raw honesty. Set in regional Australia, dog, observes the relationship between two siblings; Sister who lives with Contamination Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Brother who is alcohol dependant. dog's purpose is to raise awareness for invisible mental health disabilities like OCD and speak to the normalisation of the masculine relationship with alcohol addiction within Australian culture.
“People might not immediately think of OCD as a disability, which is something I'm definitely interested in starting conversation about. In my own journey with my diagnosis I have noticed that people hear OCD and recognise it as a mental illness but they don't really understand what OCD is – other than the compulsions it can embody. I wanted to pair that with alcohol addiction, as it's behaviours are also recognisable but it doesn't seem to be given the same validity as an illness. There is a bravado that comes with drinking that is championed in Australian society, it's almost viewed as a way of coping with masculine mental health and I think that's really toxic. These ways of coping [OCD and Alcohol Addiction] have a much deeper root than the actions we see unfurling on the surface and I want people to witness that.” – Shayne, playwright.
dog aims to provide resources, education and lived experience learning to those outside and within the disabled and/or mental health community through two community led panels on mental ill health and invisible disabilities.
On Sunday 26th May there will be a panel on The misconceptions around OCD, mental health and invisible disabilities speakers include Yasmin Arkinstall ‘OCDiva' Artist and Influencer, Playwright of dog Shayne, the Deputy Commissioner of the Mental Health, Commission of NSW Tim Heffernan and Lynn Russell the CEO & Founder of Invisible Disabilities Australia.
On Sunday 2nd June there will be a panel on Men's Share Night: the importance of acknowledging mental health and addiction speakers include Sam Rodgers (Community Health Promotion Officer - Suicide Prevention at ACON NSW), Lexine Stapinski - a researcher at The Matilda Centre and a member of the Sydney Local Health District Alcohol and Drugs Service.
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