Originally presented by Manhattan Repertory Theatre in a developmental production in June 2023, Rawshock, by playwright Rita Lewis, is now back with Manhattan Rep for a limited engagement at NYC’s Chain Theatre. The timely new drama, set in the group room of a long-term psychiatric hospital where patients and their therapist Liz meet weekly, considers the pressing needs of its struggling population and the crisis that unfolds when a corporation acquires the facility, initiates cutbacks in its funding and services, and threatens its existence. Christian Libonati, Jennifer Pierro, Camber Carpenter, Nathan Cusson, Theresa Della Valle, and Chelsea Clark. Photo by Chris Bentley. Under the direction of Ken Wolf, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Rep, a committed cast of seven embodies the individual patients (Chelsea Clark as Tina, Nathan Cusson as Alex, Christian Libonati as Richard, Jennifer Pierro as Dana, and Theresa Della Valle as Katherine), each with a distinctive diagnosis and manifest symptoms, and their medical care professionals (Camber Carpenter as Liz and David Silberger as Dr. Sam Rosen), who clash over the vital importance of the group therapy sessions, attended by the current and former in- and out-patients, and the necessity of their continuation at the hospital they know and can easily access. Set on a mostly bare stage, with folding chairs, a high table, a window frame, and a backdrop of two staggered full-length curtains, the scenes follow the progress of the group, as they become increasingly comfortable with each other, share their personal backgrounds of dysfunctional families and social challenges, develop a growing bond, and express their support and love for one another as the crucial sessions evolve. Jennifer Pierro and Chelsea Clark. Photo by Chris Bentley. There are also explosive segments of psychological and emotional breakdowns, of Tina repeatedly crying and dealing with bouts of anxiety, Katherine interrupting another member of the group by forcefully standing up and talking loudly about herself, Alex, who usually provides comfort and encouragement, erupting in violent foul-mouthed outbursts, verbally and physically attacking the uncommunicative Richard – the newest patient with no self-esteem (affectingly captured by Libonati in his expressive eyes and posture) – with a knife, Dana, who’s gone off her medication without notifying her psychiatrist, uncontrollably screaming, and all fervently reacting to the news of the imminent end of their much-needed stabilizing group meetings. The changing scenes and moods are signaled by shifts in lighting for the different days and times, with blackouts in between (lighting by Wolf). They are interspersed with behind-the-scenes conversations between Liz and Sam, in which she expresses her concern about the “hatchet company” that will destroy them, he tells her he is impressed with the sessions (one of which he attends) and hopes to convince the corporate powers to preserve them, and she questions if he’s “a puppet or a manipulator.” Will Liz succeed in her determination to keep the group intact, or will corporate greed and heartlessness trigger a tragic conclusion? Jennifer Pierro, Christian Libonati, Nathan Cusson, and Theresa Della Valle. Photo by Chris Bentley. Through it all, the significance of the title Rawshock becomes clear, as a play on the Rorshach Test, a psychological assessment of patients giving their own personal interpretations of what they see in a symmetrical inkblot image, and the Raw Shock monsters of repression that appear in the video game series Silent Hill, which represent what is too painful to confront and must be pushed down into the subconscious. According to Wolf, recent statistics released by the State Comptroller show that 21.1% of adults suffer from mental illness and another 5.1% from severe mental illness in New York State alone, for a total of more than 1 out of 4 adults in need of care, in a system that has seen a financially driven corporate incursion resulting in a decrease in programs and staffing at psychiatric hospitals and out-patient services. Rawshock is an important example of theater in the service of society and a dramatic reminder of a growing crisis in our country that must be addressed now, so that people can get the help they so desperately require. Running Time: Approximately 80 minutes, without intermission. Rawshock plays through Sunday, November 3, 2024, at Manhattan Repertory Theatre, performing at the Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, NYC. For tickets (priced at $25, plus fees), go online.