Excerpts From “Don’t Give Up On Me, Dad” – a play written and performed by Andy Jones

SJS is very proud to announce a live one-man performance of excerpts from “Don’t Give Up on Me, Dad” which is actor/writer Andy Jones’s very personal story about the insight, courage, and unique humour of his son Louis as he battled with the mental and emotional anguish that led to his suicide.

Mary-Lynn Bernard, Andy’s partner and Louis’ Mom will be in attendance and, along with Andy, will be available for a question and answer session after the performance.

This one-man show is a heartfelt and sometimes humorous analysis of Louis’ long journey through the healthcare system. In this new work, Andy lends his voice to the rising cry for compassion, care, and a quantum leap in funding for research into mental illness.

This show will take place February 26 at 7pm at Gower St United Church which is located at 99 Queens Rd.

Admission is pay what you can.

Here’s what audiences members had to say about the show:

“Andy Jones knows how to deliver a heart punch with a heaping side of laughs. Go see his show even if you think it might be too close to your soft center.”

“Andy explores the grief and pain of his late son’s mental illness while somehow, as only he can, keeping us roaring with laughter.”

“A beautiful work of art. I feel privileged to have seen it, and to have someone like Andy Jones creating in the city I live in. …I’m grateful that (he) shared this with us, and that we get to have that work — his work — inform our humanity after this. We’re lucky, we are lucky to be changed in even a very small way by this work.”

“Funny, heartbreaking, terrifyingly real, playfully imaginative. A personal confession, a call to action. No one but our beloved Andy could combine all of its many elements around something that feels so unified and singular in purpose. A hard watch, but he takes care of you. This show takes care of you.”

“Grief is a tough subject to tackle. But as only Andy Jones can do, he combines the real life story of pain and loss with stories of a wonderful life and love and hope. And we cry with him and laugh with him in equal measure. Bear witness. Go see this show.”

“Beautifully written and performed. So much to think about in that show it feels like a watershed: there is life before seeing DGUOMD, and life after seeing it.”

“A breathtaking work. Andy navigates the heart wrenching story of his son with a vulnerability, humour, and generosity that underscores his important message about mental health.”