The Marsh continues its suicide prevention efforts, reaching the milestone of 10 years of free performances to the public. Performances of The Waiting Period have been extended. Written and performed by award-winning playwright and actor Brian Copeland, and developed and directed with David Ford, this deeply moving and surprisingly funny show, offering free public performances to break down any barriers for those who may be struggling with depression themselves, details Copeland’s own struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Offering humorous, poignant and compelling insights, The Waiting Period will be performed Sundays at 12:00 p.m. on September 22, October 6, November 24, December 1 and 15 at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley, and Sundays at 12:00 p.m. on September 15, October 20 and November 3 at The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. Thanks to the support of generous donors, general admission tickets are FREE. Supporters can donate $50/$100 for reserved seating, allowing others to see the show for free.

To order free tickets or reserve seats, the public can visit themarsh.org.

“This play saves lives,” said Copeland. “Since we started offering free performances at The Marsh in 2014, so many audience members have told me that they suddenly recognized their own symptoms or those of a loved one, in time to intervene before they do the greatest harm to themselves and destroy their families.”

To support this groundbreaking work, the public can donate to the GoFundMe page. For more information on the ongoing fundraiser or how you can help The Marsh reach its $80,000 funding goal with a tax-deductible donation, visit gofundme.com/f/nf5z9-help-us-help-people-with-depression.

The Waiting Period offers a brutal look at a crucial turning point in Copeland’s life – the obligatory 10-day wait before he could get his hands on the newly purchased gun with which he planned to take his own life. Peppered with surprisingly comic moments that act as a buffer against the grim reality of his intentions, Copeland hopes this deeply personal and ultimately redemptive story reaches people struggling with depression – often called the last stigmatized illness – as well as their families and loved ones. As critic Sam Hurwitt put it in The Idiolect, “It’s a play I would highly recommend to anyone who is now depressed, or has ever been, or knows someone in that situation. But honestly, it’s such a powerful play that I would equally highly recommend it to anyone who has ever been human.”

The Waiting Period premiered in 2012 and received overwhelming response from critics and audiences. It has been praised by survivors and fellow survivors of depression. The show won a 2015 Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Award for Outstanding Production of a Solo Play. Copeland started this series of free performances to give an opportunity to those who need to see the show but couldn’t due to the price of admission. Several people struggling with suicidal thoughts have told Copeland that seeing his play literally saved their lives.

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