When you find a way to save lives, should you stop?

That's the question I pondered over the last few weeks as I decided whether or not to continue THE WAITING PERIOD project in 2019.  For the last three years, the Marsh and I have partnered on a plan to bring the play chronicling my personal struggles with depression and suicide to the public free of charge. The idea is to present an intervention of sorts by encouraging those struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts to seek help. The message is simple; If you're having thoughts of self harm, TELL SOMEONE. 

What was initially meant to be a one-year endeavor has now been going for three and has affected more lives than I can count. There's the man who recognized his brother's behavior in my portrayal, and was able to stage an intervention and stop his planned suicide. There's the mother who was able to get her teenage daughter into therapy after the girl confessed to cutting herself on the ride home from the show. There's the woman who flipped a coin to decide whether to see WAITING or jump from the Golden Gate Bridge. Because the coin landed the right way, she's still with us. I hear stories like this all the time.

In June, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a study that found that the suicide rate has increased dramatically in every state and across every demographic. It has now been deemed a public health crisis. This information, along with the recent suicide deaths of Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade and Margot Kidder, provide an opportunity to talk about depression and suicide and to erase the stigma associated with it. For that reason, we have decided to continue THE WAITING PERIOD project and we need your help.

The Marsh and I need to raise $80,000 to fund these performances through 2019. The Marsh is a registered 501c3 non profit and all contributions are 100% tax deductible. We are applying for a number of grants to help us reach this goal, but we need your help in order to show that we have the support of the community behind us. Can you please go to our GoFundMe link and make a contribution today?

https://www.gofundme.com/5kp972-help-us-help-people-with-depression

Thank you for helping us continue this important work.

Brian Copeland