Here, as they say, is a postcard, the Fall Play, from the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts of Culver City High School – starting this evening and extending through two weekends.

AVPA’s Blurred Vision Theatre Company presents The Mental State, an exciting and deeply emotional family drama that addresses addiction, faith and mental illness in our society.

The playwright, drama teacher Josh Adell, raises important, relevant questions about the way our culture handles mental illness.

Andrew Cady, played by junior Ben Hilsberg, struggles with school, family, and life in general. His mother is played by Carly Schiever, a recovering alcoholic, who deals with her son’s difficulties and grapples with how she can help her son and keep their family together.

The play previews in the Black Box Theatre of the Robert Frost Auditorium on campus for students only this evening at 7.

The Mental State opens to the public on Saturday afternoon at 5.

Additional showtimes:

Sunday afternoon at 2.

Next week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7, plus a Saturday matinee at 1.

Tickets will be available at AVPA.org and at the box office.

Back to the play:

Andrew’s father and dead uncle, played by Reno Behnken and Thanassis Tetradis respectively, only intensify the situation.

Numerous other characters are played by Paxton Amor, Izzy Parra, Sam Petersen, Ayden Westmoreland, Eliza Spear, Cricket Cary-Green, Frances Horwitz, Raegan Harris, Sarah Toutounchian, and Nick Freedson that add to the play’s powerful dynamics.

A large ensemble also portrays many other characters throughout the show.

Dr. Spano, co-executive director of the AVPA, may be contacted at tonyspano@ccusd.org