By: JK Clarke
Most people experience hardships growing up. Some childhoods are certainly more difficult than others; but as young people, we are self-centered and think that every little thing that goes wrong is a symptom of the world caving in.
When we join Anne, she’s living on the Lower East Side and awaiting a visit from her brother and his caretaker. We’re in on the visit, too, and she explains to us things we may or may not want to do. Objects we should put aside. Things we might not want to say. She really wants things to go right. Bob’s been doing very well lately, but you never know . . .
Anne then tells us what it was like growing up with Bob. How ordinary things she enjoyed, that any child would enjoy — playing games with her sister or making a gift for her mother — were shattered by Bob’s mere presence. Fear of one of his outbursts casts an anxious shadow over any and all normal activities. Ultimately Bob, who has become a very large and difficult-to-manage young man, has to be placed in a home where he can be cared for and monitored, both for his safety and for the safety of others. It’s a heartbreaking dilemma for the family, particularly since mental health care facilities of the period (which have since evolved and improved) were at times no better, and often more exploitive, than prisons (think One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). And, although funding remains an ongoing issue, state run facilities (as well as society at large) have at least begun to understand mental illness and manage it more appropriately . . . but, of course, there’s always room for vast improvement.
Ms. Pasquale’s portrayals of her family, friends, those she interacts with, and Bob are energetic and heartfelt. Her love for her brother and her frustration with his condition are palpable. This production is truly both a declaration of her love for her brother and a shout out to the world that we must support mental health care services. With a little help, and a lot of love, those in need as well as their families, can withstand these difficult circumstances a lot better.
BOB: Blessed Be the Dysfunction that Binds. Directed by Mary Ann Hay. Through October 6 at The Abingdon Theater (312 West 36th Street at 8th Avenue). Tickets: www.BobTheShow.com