Watch a video about Troney Small and his brother Justin.

February 4th Rehearsal

Rehearsal on a Saturday, we originally had it scheduled for 2pm but some of us had conflicts so we had changed it to 4pm about a week prior. It was a warm and sunny day. We arrived and all seemed normal...some of us were finishing up a late lunch or early dinner. There were warm greetings and laughter. Everyone was there except Troney but Brenda told us to gather around because she had some things to tell us. It was evident that she was stressed but that wasn't too far from ordinary; as the creator and director of the play we have all seen the enormous weight of responsibility she carries.
The room fell silent as she began speaking and slowly we all became aware that what she had to say was going to be unlike anything in the past. Nothing could prepare us for the news that she had to tell us. "This morning, Troney's younger brother has taken his own life in a park near Troney's home..."
As a family of individuals who stand together against mental illness it was a shock to hear that one of our own had fallen into the arms of suicide. Brenda explained that she had spoken with Troney and that he was on his way but that if he couldn't perform his part Kentrell would be his alternate. There were tears, so many tears...
Troney arrived and was greeted with the usual hugs. We formed our usual circle and joined hands to pray. Brenda looked up at Troney and asked one question "Are you here to watch or here to work?" and Troney raised his chin and replied, "I'm here to work." We went into prayer and more tears fell, it was a prayer of comfort and strength and understanding.
As we began rehearsing there was not a dry eye in the building, the heaviness on our hearts was nearly suffocating and yet just a fraction of what Troney must have felt. He delivered his monologue with emotion, passion, and expression and he would go on to perform it in front of his brother's closed casket at the funeral a week and two days later.
As we waited for our cues some of us paced in the hall, listened to music through headphones, or sat still with arms around each other just quietly letting the tears roll down our faces...we truly are a family and when one of us hurts we all feel it.
The weight of our message seemed to bear down on us with a crushing strength, and yet we continued. Even as we danced the last and final piece there were more tears. Suicide may have had it's way in one life, one of our own, one close to us but we will carry on and we will continue to spread our message. After the rehearsal we gathered in our circle and joined hands to pray again...the heaviness lifted a little. We decided to all go to Miss Katie's together to push the heaviness back further. We had some food, and shared some laughter.
Finally we all hugged Troney and agreed when he said " This is why we do this." We do this for people like his brother, who did not give up. When a soldier falls in a bleak battle we do not say he "gave up the fight" we recognize that the foe was too great for him to battle any longer. In the same way when someone commits suicide we need to realize that maybe they made their last stand, and maybe we just couldn't see what they were up against.
We dedicated our performances at UWM on February 15th to the memory of Justin Small. He is why we do this, and he is why we will continue to do this.

To view an article the newspaper wrote about Troney and his brother and this tragedy click this link:

 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel- Suicide Leaves a lot of Unanswered Questions

The "Pieces: In My Own Voice" Project

The Pieces:In My Own Voice Project is an effort to encourage those who are battling mental illness to step out of the darkness and help us drive down the stigma and negativity that has kept these illnesses in the dark for so long. 

To join us, upload your video to youtube.com or any other video hosting site and post the link here. Add your voice to ours as we start conversations about mental health.

Here is the script available for use when making your video: 

"Hi, my name is (insert name) and I live with the most stigmatizing illness, Mental Illness. I am in recovery from (insert diagnosis). But, I am here to tell you Recovery is Possible, Recovery Happens!  I am a Survivor! Lets start a conversation."

Mental Health in the Local News...

http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/law-creates-barriers-to-getting-care-for-mentally-ill-135387808.html

As I read the article in the Journal, I think the reporter did some justice in raising awareness about the challenges of individuals living with a mental illness. However, the front page distrubed me. If you did not open it to read the entire article you would be left with the idea that all people living with a mental illness are dangerous/violent. This is not true, stigma still exists! We have to be pro-active in discussing the topic of this brain disorder. Recovery is possible, but first we have to start a conversation! We have to put the topic in the forefront just like Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease, etc. I have made this my life's work. Come on folks, lets talk about it!!!!!

Partnership with the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Campus

We are proud to announce that we have entered into a partnership with UWM making the production part of their required curriculum for Nursing Students, Psychology and Social Work majors!!! This is a very exciting accomplishment for "Pieces" and will open more doors for us on campuses throughout Wisconsin.Our first performances at UWM will be held on February 15th at 1:30pm and 7:00pm, the public is always welcome!!! We hope to see you there!

Watch A Trailer of the Play

Photo from the Martin Luther King Center Performance of "Pieces: In My Own Voice"

This photo was taken at the Martin Luther King Center in Milwaukee. This performance was sponsored by the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin. This was the second time "Pieces" has been performed at the Center.