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Creativity and madness can often go hand-in-hand, and the new musical comedy “Divine Lunacy” explores this relationship while shining a spotlight on mental-health issues and mental-health resources in the valley. Theater team Peter Quince and David Gabriel drew on personal experience to create a show that makes people laugh but also provokes thoughts about the way society responds to mental illness. “We want people to come away from the show with more awareness about mental illness, how deeply complex it is and how we are all in it together,” says Quince, who wrote the show’s libretto. Both men say their experiences with mental illness in their lives and the lives of friends and family members helped inspire the musical. “My son struggles with mental illness, but he’s getting help and support,” Quince says. “I would tell people that my son was ill, and they’d be sympathetic until I added that he has bipolar disorder. They would pull back and withhold the sympathy or change the subject. If it were Legionnaires' disease or anything else, we wouldn’t say, ‘well you’re on your own.’ ” Gabriel, who directs and performs in the play, also wrote the music and lyrics. He says the show will highlight struggles and creative passion brought by mental illness. “When does that divine spark turn into a dangerous fire?” Gabriel asks. “I think people who are more open to new ideas — not just in the arts, but science, math, technology — are more susceptible to mental illness just as they are more open to brilliance.” “Divine Lunacy” will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, Oct. 15 and 17, and Oct. 22 and 24, and 2 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 18 and 25, at Temple Emek Shalom, 1800 E. Main St., Ashland. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at divinelunacy.org. Tickets will be $20 at the door. With humor, song and strong characters, the play follows Davy as he goes off his medication and has only three weeks to write, rehearse and stage a play called “Divine Lunacy.” Because his brother, wife and friend refuse to work with him, Davy works with imaginary versions of each of them, and finds that his imaginary cohorts are no more cooperative than the real ones. Nathan Monks plays Davy, Rose Passione plays his wife, Kaitie Warner plays Davy’s friend, and David Gabriel plays his brother. “We are so happy with this cast,” Quince says. “We have some of the best and hardest-working actors in the valley.” The Sunday, Oct. 18, performance will be followed by a free mental health symposium at 4 p.m., with a panel discussion including local mental health professionals and advocates, and several information booths. There also will be a facilitator at each performance to lead discussions about issues or concerns raised by the show. Information about mental health resources in the valley also will be available at each performance. “We’re doing everything we can to bring attention to this issue. This play and symposium are first steps,” Gabriel says. Gabriel says he, Quince and everyone involved in the production are excited about the play and its underlying message. “One of the best ways to get people to think and talk about something is through comedy,” he says. “Besides, there isn’t any higher use for art than using it to uplift people, and we need to not be afraid to talk about mental illness, bring it out in the open and laugh with it sometimes.” For information, visit www.divinelunacy.org or call 541-944-6450. Angela Decker is a freelance writer in Ashland and can be reached at [email protected].