FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Danae DeShazer
Public Relations Manager
(941) 366 – 9017 ext. 338
ddeshazer@floridastudiotheatre.org
DATE: October 19, 2011

FST OPENS 2012 Mainstage with Pulitzer Prize-winning "next to normal" (Sarasota, FL) —Florida Studio Theatre presents the Southeastern Regional Premiere of the contemporary rock musical Next to Normal. Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a suburban American family trying to take care of themselves and each other. It features music by by Tom Kitt, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. It won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. Performances begin in the Keating Theatre November 2 - January 7. "When I saw Next to Normal in New York, I knew it was extraordinarily special," said Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, who will also be directing this project. "It's an amazingly, emotionally-challenging, heartbreakingly beautiful show, that says its okay to feel things - it doesn't always have to be happy-go-lucky. At its core, we have a family who loves each other but the question is: can they help each other? Ben Brantley of The New York Times said that this show is more than a feel-good musical; it's a feel-everything musical. That's the best description of the play I've heard."

Sunshine from Darkness Honors Two Locals with the Diamond and Heart of Gold Awards
at the Diamonds in the Rough  Mental Awareness Luncheon

[March 25, 2011 – Sarasota, FL] On Thursday, March 24, 2011 Sunshine from Darkness, the Sarasota-based nonprofit organization that raises funds for brain research, honored two local individuals with the Diamond Award and, for the first year, The Heart of Gold Award, at the annual Diamonds in the Rough Luncheon. 

The second annual Diamond Award to honor an individual who has met the challenge of mental illness with courage, perseverance and humor was bestowed on Keith Adams of Bradenton.  Nominated by Mary Ruiz, President/CEO of Manatee Glens, Keith was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was 19 years old. Like many who live with mental illness, he faced many challenges over a number of years before he reached a level of understanding and stability thanks to the support of physicians and counselors who are so critical to recovery from mental illness. At every step he was willing to talk about his own example as an encouragement to others and as a way to reduce the silence about mental illness.  For more about Keith’s story visit www.Sunshinefromdarkness.org.

Coming in April is the Third Annual Siesta Key Beach 5KRun/Walk for Mental Health Awareness! Sunshine From Darkness is a proud supporter of this annual event, kicking off at 7:30 a.m. on Sun., April 16.

Registration starts at 6:30 a.m. at the Siesta Beach Pavilion. You may also pick up registration packets in advance at Fit2Run from April 14 to 16. Or register now online by clicking here.

Another way to participate without pounding the sand is by volunteering to help with registration and other tasks on the day of the race. Contact linda.tribuo@hotmail.com for more information.

We here at Sunshine From Darkness are proud to support other organizations locally, nationally and internationally that correlate to our mission of raising both awareness and funds for mental illness and research.

Coming in April is the Treating Schizophrenia 2011 conference put on by MA Healthcare April 14 and 15 at the Institute of Physics in London. Click here for more information!

Join Sunshine from Darkness and the Ellenton Ice & Sports Complex [5309 29th Street, East Ellenton] from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Sat., March 12, to give a special world championship send-off to the 2011 U.S. silver medal winners and Olympic figure skating duo Mark Ladwig and Amanda Evora.

The team will depart to compete for the World Figure Skating Championship win in Tokyo, March 21 through March 27. 

The event is free and open to the public, however, donations to Sunshine from Darkness and/or the Southwest Florida Figure Skating Club will be gratefully accepted by a representative during the show and directly following during the autograph reception. 

On Thursday, March 24, we will raise awareness for mental health at our annual Diamonds in the Rough Luncheon at Michael’s On East (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). 

The gathering includes an inspiring speaker, a raffle for an exquisite Akoya Keshi and Tahitian Pearl necklace and the second annual Diamond Award to honor an individual who has met the challenge of mental illness with courage, perseverance and humor. Last year’s honoree, Diane Kreisman, along with her family, was honored for her triumph in living successfully with schizophrenia.  This year’s recipient will be equally inspiring.

Recognizing that we are all “Diamonds In the Rough,” guest speaker Linda Larsen, a multi-award winning international speaker and best-selling author, will address You - Superstar! Super Hero! Super Exhausted! The airlines tell us to put on our own oxygen mask first before attempting to help others - and in this fun, motivating session Linda will help us apply that strategy to our everyday lives in order to create better health and happier relationships, and more effectively help others! As a former professional actress, she has brought humor, entertainment and practical content to such groups as the American Heart Association, Speaking of Women's Health and the National Association of Healthcare Recruitment.

Another feature of “Diamonds in the Rough” will be the collection of distinctive jewelry provided by MK Designs and The Golden Image Jewelry Store.  Both have agreed that 15% of all sales at the luncheon will be donated to Sunshine from Darkness and directed to brain research to find a cure for mental illness.  

MK Designs has also donated an Akoya Keshi and Tahitian Pearl Necklace for a raffle benefiting Sunshine from Darkness. Raffle tickets can be purchased prior to and during the event - $10 each or three for $20.

Luncheon Reservations are $65 per person and should be made by March 18, 2011.  For more information about Diamonds In the Rough please call Marlene Hauck at (941) 504-6717 or visit the Diamonds in the Rough event page where reservations can be made online.

Please join us for the kick off party for our annual "Diamonds in the Rough" Mental Awareness Luncheon, Baubles & Bubbles,  sponsored by The Golden Image Jewelry Store and MK Designs.

Baubles & Bubbles will take place at The Golden Image (30 S. Palm Ave.) from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wed., March 2. This free event will feature door prizes, a raffle for two free tickets to the elegant Diamonds in the Rough luncheon, refreshments and champagne.

15% of all jewelry sales will benefit Sunshine from Darkness and our mission to provide fund for mental health research. Please RSVP to Marlene Hauck at (941)504-6717 or marlene@sunshinefromdarkness.org

What if the tragic event that occurred in Tucson was caused by a person with a serious mental disorder characterized by disturbed behavior, mood and thought. That disorder is called schizophrenia. Symptoms usually start between the ages of 16 and 30. It is present in all ethnic groups. Both sexes are affected.

Families bear the brunt for a loved one who no longer makes sense, is suspicious without cause, cannot go to school or hold a job. They may see violent behavior which results from hallucinations. Guilt is a common feeling that affects parents. What did they do so wrong that resulted in a schizophrenic child?

What if the genetic structure of patients with schizophrenia was worked out?
What if possible environmental factors such as diet and infections were identified?
What if brain mechanisms and chemistry were elucidated?
What if a reliable profile of who is likely to get schizophrenia was established and treatment instituted?
What if non-toxic therapy was discovered?

Sunshine from Darkness is a proud supporter of the eighth annual 5k Manatee Glens Walk for Life event on Sat., Sept. 25.  The Walk raises awareness about depression and promotes suicide prevention. The event also provides support to families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide. 

“Depression is a medical illness that is highly treatable.  But untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.  Last year, more people lost their lives from suicide than from traffic accidents,” states Manatee Glens President & CEO, Mary Ruiz. “The Manatee Glens Walk for Life raises funds so that families always have a place to turn in a crisis.”

The eighth annual 5k Walk for Life begins in Sutton Park at 1025 6^th St. West in Palmetto and follows a scenic route over the Manatee River. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with the walk starting at 8:50 a.m., rain or shine.  Following the walk will be a memory ceremony and butterfly release.  Tee shirts, a grilled lunch and prizes are available to all who register for the Walk for Life at $10 for students and $25 for adults.

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 22, Sunshine From Darkness is hosting an evening of cocktails and inspiration at the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota for anyone interested in learning more about SFD activities and the many opportunities to “Be a Hero.”

There is no cost for the event, but reservations are requested by contacting Marlene Hauck at (941) 504-6717 or Marlene@SunshinefromDarkness.org

As you know, superheroes often travel in clusters so attendees are encouraged to bring a group of friends and form a team to sign up together! There will be a special prize for the largest team of heroes/volunteers signing up at the event.

Sample volunteer assignments are:

Symposium Committee: Help make our symposium a success!
The annual Journey to Wellness Symposium is a free half-day educational event open to the public with prominent international research scientists and celebrities. The next Symposium will be held on Sat., Jan. 8, 2011 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
 
Gala Committee: important to the success of our fund raising efforts!
This committee meets once monthly October through December. Its primary objective is to boost attendance at our annual Gala and to help as needed prior to the event.

Our final speaker at the 2011 Journey to Wellness Symposium will be Elaine Walker, Ph.D. delivering a talk titled “Adolescent Development and Mental Health: Hormones, Genes and the Brain.”

The developmental trajectory leading to serious mental disorders typically involves escalating behavioral dysfunction during adolescence, and then the emergence of clinical disorder in young adulthood.   Thus, adolescence appears to be a critical period for the onset of mental illness, and it is likely that neurodevelopmental processes associated with this period can play a role in the onset of both psychotic and mood disorders.  This presentation will focus on maturational changes in the interactions among hormones, genes, and the brain, and how these interactions might trigger the expression of vulnerability to psychosis in youth.   The implications for future efforts to prevent mental illness will also be explored.

Dr. Andrew Cutler, M.D. will be returning as moderator of our free annual Journey to Wellness Symposium, taking place this year on Sat., Jan. 8, 2011, featuring several speakers discussing mental health issues.

Dr. Cutler is currently a Courtesy Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Florida, and has been Principal Investigator (PI) on over 300 psychiatric and medical clinical trials.  He is CEO and Medical Director of Florida Clinical Research Center, LLC, a clinical psychopharmacology research company he founded in 1998 with sites in Central and West Florida. He was named Best Psychiatrist in Orlando annually from 2003-2007.

Our free annual Journey to Wellness Symposium will take place on Sat., Jan. 8, 2011 and feature several speakers discussing mental health issues. The first will be Susan Voglmaier, M.D., Ph.D. presenting a speech called “Lighting Up Brain Pathways:  New Ways of Understanding Mental Illness:”

Right now you are reading an article on a printed page. The patterns of the letters are flowing from your eyes to your brain, their shapes being processed by the thalamus and their meanings by the hippocampus, and a combination of information from these two centers is flowing to your pre-frontal cortex, so that…viola!  You know and understand what you have read.  If you have schizophrenia, however, this process may be jumbled.  Current theory has it that the thought disorder inherent in schizophrenia may be due to an imbalance in the signal transmission between these three parts of the brain.  This presentation will focus on Dr. Voglmaier’s study on helping to decode why and how to treat it. 

Sunshine from Darkness is honored to bestow our 2011 Luminary Award upon Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill.

In the public's eyes, skater Dorothy Hamill was "America's sweetheart." In 1976, she was the perky 19-year-old with the famous hairdo — "the wedge" — who won an Olympic gold medal for her dazzling figure skating at the Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Her life seemed to glide as easily as her skates. But as Hamill reveals in her frank new book, A Skating Life: My Story, that behind the scenes, she was in the grip of serious depression, which ran through her family.  

“It was a Tuesday afternoon… about 2 o’clock.  I was standing in my kitchen when I got the call.  I will never forget that day” says Dorothy Kreisman when asked about her daughter’s illness.  Diane was a sophomore at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. when she made the call to her parents that afternoon in early 1975: “Mom, something just doesn’t feel right with me…I don’t know what’s wrong…In class, I listen to the professor and I can’t retain what he is saying…When I read my textbooks, I can’t remember or understand what I just read.  Some days, I can’t even get out of bed.”  Diane Kreisman was then just 19 years old.  

For the first time in her life, she began feeling overwhelmed by high levels of anxiety and severe symptoms of depression that interfered with her ability to carry out her normal, day to day activities and perform well in school.  Her parents, Norman and Dorothy, describe that afternoon as the start of a long journey that eventually took them from Long Island, New York to sunny Sarasota, Florida more than 11 years later.

We are happy to share information on mental health related events sponsored by our many community partners as part of our mission to increase public awareness about mental health issues.

This Saturday, May 8 from 1 to 3 p.m., Mental Health Community Centers is sponsoring a free seminar on Personality Disorders at Waldemere Auditorium, located at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, 1700 S. Tamiami Trail.

Reserve your seat online by clicking here or by call 953-3477. Continuing education hours are available.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the first annual Diamonds in the Rough Mental Health Awareness Luncheon at Michael's on East, April 29, 2010.

Event organizers Emily Walsh Parry and Marlene Hauck did a fabulous job putting together an elegant, feel-good luncheon for a great cause. Champagne was served to the many guests who mingled around beautiful white hydrangea centerpieces.

The first Diamond Awards for achievements in raising awareness went to honorees Norman, Diane and Dorothy Kreisman after an informative and entertaining presentation by guest speaker Beatty Cohan (photo above right with Vanessa Schadt by Stephanie Hannum).

11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 29, 2010 at Michael’s On East
“Revealing the Sparkle: 3 secrets that will change your life”
with Beatty Cohan Hosted by SUNSHINE FROM DARKNESS
Benefiting the International Mental Health Organization (IMHRO)

Share some quality time with Beatty as she helps us all dig into the things that might be blocking our unique sparkle within. This nationally recognized psychotherapist and coauthor, with her husband Elliot, of For Better, For Worse, Forever – Discover the Path to Lasting Love (Chandler House Press, 1999, 3rd ed. 2008) is highly regarded for her expertise, insight and straight-talking engagement of real issues that so many of us face – including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addiction and relationship difficulties. This exquisite pair of earrings, an original design by Judith Ripka who has donated them to Sunshine from Darkness, will be the grand raffle prize for one lucky winner.  Raffle tickets will be sold in advance and at the event. The winner need not be present at the luncheon.

We all know someone who is affected by mental health issues. Tribuo, Inc., a local not-for-profit dedicated to giving back to the community and raising mental health awareness, has a healthy and fun way to give hope to those in need: The 3rd annual Siesta Key Beach 5K run/walk for Mental Health Awareness on Saturday, April 17.

Tribuo is happy to welcome back the Manasota Track Club, sanctioning the race again after the fabulous job they did last year, as well as the many wonderful sponsors donating to the raffle for registered participants. You can pick up your registration package at Fit2Run, another big supporter, between April 14 and 16 or at the beach the day of the race — come early!

Tribuo and Sunshine from Darkness would love to have you walk or run with us for this worthy cause.

Our annual symposium this year was a great success! The free community education program dubber "Journey to Wellness: Lifelong Recovery from Mental Illness" was from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sat., Jan 9, 2010 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in Sarasota.

The program featured Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Insel and the NIMH announced that a trio of genome-wide studies – collectively the largest to date – has pinpointed a vast array of genetic variation that cumulatively may account for at least one third of the genetic risk for schizophrenia. One of the studies traced schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in part, to the same chromosomal neighborhoods.

Gary Foster also spoke. Foster was a producer of “The Soloist” a film starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey. Jr. that told the story of a talented musician struggling with schizophrenia  living on the streets of L.A. and his unlikely friendship with a journalist who tries to help.

Look out for news about next year's symposium coming soon!

Bob and Lee Peterson, the founders of NARSAD Florida, and Parlane Reid M.D., Director of Bayside Center for Behavioral Health, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, speak against stigma and on behalf of openness and the importance of research.

Emily Walsh, who suffers from depression, and Diane Kreisman, who has schizophrenia, speak about their illnesses.