Dear Evan Hansen: Broadway and Mental Health

Can a Broadway musical actually help destigmatize and further the mental health conversation in our culture? The Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen has proven that the answer is yes – doing just that through sensitive storytelling on stage and the cast and crew’s work with mental health not-for-profits off stage. In this panel, Dr. Harold Koplewicz, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, and Steven Levenson, the Tony Award-winning book writer of Dear Evan Hansen, discuss the delicate task of creating the characters in the musical and how they have helped further the dialogue about this important topic. The session also features a performance from Josh Strobl, a cast member seen in both the Broadway and Toronto productions of the musical. (Underwritten by American Hospital Association) Featuring: Harold Koplewicz, Amanda Mull, Josh Strobl, Steven Levenson This conversation was recorded during Aspen Ideas: Health in Aspen, Colorado. Presented by the Aspen Institute, the three-day event opens the Aspen Ideas Festival and features more than 200 speakers engaging with urgent health care challenges and exploring cutting-edge innovations in medicine and science.