Brian Copeland to Perform 鈥淭he Waiting Period鈥� at Cal State East Bay Theatre

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Brian Copeland

  • April 22, 2016

Actor, radio personality, writer and Bay Area native Brian Copeland is coming to Cal State East Bay for a free performance of his one-man show, “The Waiting Period,” at the University Theatre on May 11 at 2 p.m., with a question and answer session to follow.

Written by Copeland, the show is a look at his life during the 10-day mandatory waiting period he went through as he purchased a gun intended for suicide. Copeland said he hopes his very personal and ultimately redemptive story will reach people who struggle with depression, as well as their families and loved ones, and “raise the volume” on conversations surrounding mental health. He revived “The Waiting Period” following the death of comedian Robin Williams, who was mourned by millions of people worldwide.

Copeland urges his audiences to understand that it’s OK to be depressed and it’s OK to ask for help.

“You should be no more ashamed of depression than you should if you had Lou Gehrig’s disease or cancer,” Copeland told Newsweek.  “As I say (in the show), if I can stand up here for 70 minutes and spill my guts to strangers, you can tell somebody that you are having thoughts that are not in your best interest.”

Department of Theatre and Dance Professor Ann Fajilan and University Diversity Officer Dianne Woods worked to bring Copeland to CSUEB.

After seeing “The Waiting Period,” Fajilan said she was impressed and enlightened by the multitude of struggles that college students in particular are facing and knew this show was needed on campus.

“Brian brilliantly uses his theater and performance skill set to single-handedly effect social change and bring us to an empathetic awareness of depression, isolation, anxiety and struggle,” Fajilan said.

This performance of “The Waiting Period” is co-sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, the Office of Diversity, Student Health and Counseling Services, the General Education Program and the Office of Accessibility Services. Admission is free and attendees are encouraged to come early. There will be a brief Q&A in the theater with Copeland post-performance, followed by a panel on mental health and suicide prevention hosted by Student Health and Counseling Services.