The brutality and the hope

When the people you see every day at work, or in the store, or passing on the street, go through tragedy and feel like there is only one escape, what happens? What hope and help is available for them? 

The one-act play "Chimes" by local playwright Donovan Rawlings explores these questions, and will be performed this Friday night as part of September's Suicide Prevention Month activities in Sweetwater County. This will be the fourth presentation of "Chimes" since it was first written and performed nine years ago. It is being brought back for a special performance this year through a joint endeavor from the Church of the Holy Communion in Rock Springs, Sweetwater BOCES, the Western Wyoming Community College Theatre Program, and Actors' Mission.

"Chimes" first came about through the collaboration of the Reverend Doctor Bernadine Craft and Donovan Rawlings. Craft initially asked Rawlings to write a play addressing the topic of suicide, particularly exploring some of the reasons adults make the decision to end their lives. Rawlings admitted, he "had a hard time writing it."

Not only did Rawlings do research into the difficult topic, but he used his own personal experiences, both of knowing people who chose to take their own lives and of going through some of the tragic circumstances that sometimes lead people to that decision. 

"I recognize it as the final act of despair," Rawlings said of suicide.  

The play explores this concept, focusing on various reasons why everyday adults, those in Wyoming in particular, may choose to end their life, and the reality of that choice. 

"They want to escape, they want the misery to end, and it's not that they're going to a better place, they're just ending it," Rawlings said.

Rawlings also pointed out that the play focuses on adults in the age range of 25-55, not because suicides among other age groups and specific demographics aren't important, but because suicides among adults are so high yet often aren't addressed as directly.

The play has also been revised with updated content for this performance to reflect current statistics and the growing problem of suicide. 

"Eight years ago it was one suicide every 16 minutes, and now it's one every 11," Rawlings explained. "That's why we're doing it again."

Another important aspect of the play is portraying the harsh reality of suicide honestly, according to Rawlings.

"Suicide is brutal," he said. "It's blood and it's guts and it's mourners and it's survivors after the fact. And there really isn't any way to soften that up."

Using live theater to present these realities is an especially powerful format, because it "puts it up in front of you, up close and personal," Rawlings said. The live nature of a theatrical production makes its subject matter more immediate and unfiltered, he explained, and presents something you can't unsee once it's seen. Also, every play has its own purpose, and should give the audience something to think about. 

"If you make the connection of 'I can relate to this,' it may change your behavior, or it may alter your thinking," Rawlings added. 

Through its past presentations, "Chimes" has been effective both in giving audiences something to think about and giving them something to relate to that impacts their actions, Rawlings believes. 

"This one seems to have made a difference," he said. 

Through hundreds of comments received about the play and feedback Rawlings has heard, he believes it has not only affected people in poignant ways, but has also directly helped people choose not to end their lives. 

Hoping to continue this impact through this new presentation of the play, Rawlings hopes everyone will come to see it, and that those who do will take away the message that they're not alone, that resources are available, and that it's ok to ask for help. 

"You're never without hope, ever," Rawlings added. "There are people that will listen, there are programs that you can go to if you have the will to do so. They're out there."

"Chimes" will be performed at 7 p.m. this Friday, September 13, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion in Rock Springs. The play is noted to be more suitable for adult audiences. There will be no charge for admission, and refreshments will be served during an informal discussion with the cast, crew, and audience members immediately following the production. 

The event is being coordinated by Bernadine Craft, who chairs the Suicide Prevention Connections for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming. 

The following day, Saturday, September 14, the Episcopal Church is hosting "Soul Shop," a free suicide prevention workshop scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the church Parish Hall. The workshop is open and includes lunch, but participants are asked to register online at wiowy.info/soulshop to ensure enough materials are available.