Anna Snapp’s 65‑minute show was one of the bravest pieces of performance art that I have seen in a long time. She takes her audience on an emotional journey, describing the many bumps along the road she’s encountered. As my eyes teared up, she dropped bombs on us, and it was inspiring to see a strong woman talk about such endeavors. It takes tremendous strength to put yourself out there and make yourself vulnerable to strangers as you tell them your story. And boy, was her story heavy, from long‑undiagnosed Crohn’s disease, to coping with mental illness, to an eating disorder, and even sexual assault. People struggling with depression and anxiety sometimes find it hard to put their feelings into words, but Ms. Snapp did just that. She described suffering panic attacks, the shortness of breath and heaviness. She said she was continuously drawn to the floor, as if her depression were physically pulling her down. Ms. Snapp brought up her weight, and how people would use it against her. But she was well aware of her own weight. She was aware of all her external and internal demons. Ms. Snapp’s troubles took their toll on her, and caused her to push away her friends and family. She didn’t blame them, but at the time, she didn’t know how to ask for help. She didn’t play the victim, either. It takes a lot to admit when you’re at your lowest. We all need help, but we need to do the hardest work ourselves. You must want it, and eventually she did. Throughout the performance, Ms. Snapp asked herself questions, and tried to find meaning in her experiences. She added bits of humor for the relief we all needed after hearing she had been raped. That did not take away from our understanding of the pain she must have felt, and the relief she felt for being able to talk about it now. She even incorporated a spoken word poem, which I thought was incredibly courageous and beautiful. You could tell she was holding back tears. I left the performance with a strong appreciation for my life and the people in it, all thanks to Anna Snapp.
“I Found that the Sun Will Rise Tomorrow” Written and Performed by Anna Snapp October 26 at 9 PM Photo: courtesy of the production 2019 United Solo Theater Festival Theater Row 410 West 42nd Street New York City
DANIELLE CREAN is an aspiring writer and editor living in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in Communication Arts and Journalism. During her college career she was a writer and editor-in-chief for the Odyssey Online. She is also currently writing a novel based on her own personal experiences with mental health.