KishHealth System is underwriting the newest theatrical production at Stage Coach Players, “Bill W. and Dr. Bob.” The play tells the story of the two men and their wives who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous.
Aaron George (left) and Dan Hyde (right) are actors in Stage Coach Players’ “Bill W. and Dr. Bob.”
Area treatment centers and support groups have already purchased advance group tickets to help bring awareness and encouragement to the topic of alcoholism. “The health system is a longtime supporter of the theater. This unique opportunity ties together the topics of mental health and substance abuse, subjects that are often kept silent, and our commitment to these causes,” said Theresa Komitas, director of KishHealth System Marketing & PR. “As part of our mission to educate the community we are privileged to serve about issues like addiction and mental health, we thought this play was well worth underwriting so that everyone could afford to see it.”
Dawn Roznowski, KishHealth System Community Engagement advisor, said, “The play’s focus on alcoholism is especially timely and important for our area. In 2011, based on the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse’s 2003 report, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use in Illinois: Prevalence and Treatment Need, an estimated 13,155 (15.6%) DeKalb County residents aged 16 and older were in need of alcohol treatment, as well 2,024 persons in need of drug abuse treatment. It is our hope that DeKalb County residents will take the opportunity to learn more about this issue.”
“We are especially grateful to KishHealth System for the support of this production,” said the play’s director, Jim Doherty. “It is a drama for sure, but there are great moments of tenderness and a lot of good laughs too. At its core, this is the story of an incredible friendship between the men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous. Their contribution to self-help groups and other 12-step programs has helped millions replace hopelessness with hope.”
The local theatre group’s 2014 black box production of “Bill W. and Dr. Bob,” by Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey, directed by Jim Doherty, opens on Friday, Jan. 17 with a performance at 7:30 pm, Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 pm, and a matinee at 2 pm on Sunday, Jan. 19. General admission tickets (available at the door) are only $5 because of a generous support of KishHealth System. Advance tickets are on sale in the lobby of the Stage Coach Theater; Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8 pm. For more information about Stage Coach Players and to purchase tickets, please call 815.758.1940. For group tickets, please call Jim Doherty at 847.977.3839.
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