What I liked
What is not to like
What I didn't like
Always room for improvement
My overall impression
Schizm is a deeply moving piece of theater. As a fellow drama therapist, I was struck by the humanity and care Ryan Lisman brings to the experience of psychosis and schizophrenia. The use of the Greek chorus is especially powerful. It beautifully externalizes the protagonists’ inner worlds and reminded me of both drama therapy and Internal Family Systems—the way different voices, parts, fears, and longings live within us and shape our experience.
What struck me most is that the play speaks not only to people diagnosed with mental illness. It also feels incredibly relevant to the world we are living in right now and the rise of authoritarian and fascist tendencies. We are surrounded by social and political forces that encourage disconnection, suppress critical thought, and isolate people from one another and from their own inner dialogue. Schizm invites us to listen more carefully—to ourselves, to others, and to the complexity of being human.
The acting, directing, and staging are superb. I left feeling moved, challenged, and grateful. A thoughtful, courageous, and timely piece of theater that lingers long after the final curtain.
