Mansfield Playhouse Tackles Mental Health With “Dear Evan Hansen”

The Mansfield Playhouse is using its latest production to tackle difficult conversations about mental health, loneliness and the desire to belong.

The theater is presenting Dear Evan Hansen, the Tony Award-winning musical that follows a high school student struggling with anxiety and social isolation after becoming caught up in a lie surrounding a classmate’s death.

The production is being presented as more than entertainment, with the theater highlighting the importance of conversations surrounding mental health and reminding audience members that they are not alone.

The show brings a challenging subject to the stage while giving audiences an opportunity to consider how isolation, grief and the pressure to fit in can affect young people.

The Mansfield Playhouse is among the area’s longtime community theater organizations, relying heavily on local performers, volunteers and theater supporters.