Edmonton-based playwright Beth Graham says it wasn’t her idea to tackle the stigma and challenges of mental illness and the impact it has on a family.

She was commissioned by Annette Loiselle, the artistic director at SkirtsAfire, an Edmonton theatre festival, to write a play about mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder.

“I was interested, but I was wary about writing on a subject I had limited experience with, so I began to interview people who live with bipolar disorder, along with their friends and family. From these interviews, fictionalized characters began to take shape, and I was compelled to write,” says Graham.

“As I wrote, I had their voices in my head, and it was important to me that I represent them as authentically as I could. Their collaboration was intrinsic to the play’s development.”

People with lived experience read the script and attended a rehearsal of the first draft, and adjustments were made based on their feedback. “I could never have written the play without their generosity, input, and support,” says Graham.

Mermaid Legs is set in a therapist’s office where three sisters, Billie, Ava, and Scarlett, talk to the therapist about past events, creating a non-linear memory play, moving fluidly between the present and the past.

“Relating events in a non-linear manner allowed me to mimic how memory works and to reveal the complicated history of the sisters’ relationships,” says Graham.

“It felt like the story needed to be told in an emotional, fragmented way rather than in a straightforward, narrative way. Telling the story in this manner felt more active and unpredictable, and it gave the story momentum.”

The character of the silent therapist represents the audience, says Graham. “It is a device to give the sisters a reason to break the fourth wall and address the audience directly. Billie, Ava, and Scarlett are able to share their thoughts and feelings aloud within the reality of a therapist’s office.

“I hope the conceit also encourages the audience to listen actively, as a therapist might.”

Another device used deliberately and to powerful effect is that of poetic language, which grew from Graham’s collaboration with the choreographer, Ainsley Hillyard, during the premiere production.

“In that production, there were three dancers who embodied the interior life of the main character Billie. Ainsley found the more poetic and abstract writing inspiring, and so I tried incorporating poetic text more and more as the play developed,” she explains.

The imagistic language also fits the character of Billie. “Billie is a creative person and has a unique way of seeing and interacting with the world,” Graham says. “From my understanding, everyone experiences mental illness in their own unique way. Poetic language and metaphor allowed for nuance and personal interpretation.”

While every play is a challenge to write, Graham says, “Mermaid Legs was challenging because I wanted to make sure I was honouring the experience of people living with bipolar, as well as their friends and family.

“As a playwright, it’s my job to imagine another person’s life as fully as I can. It’s a gift to be able to attempt this with each new play I write.”