For Leon – a music and theatre lover with a career in marketing – the idea for League of the Damned came only a few weeks after his father died. “When he passed, my wife just happened to be four months pregnant with our first child, so he never got to meet his grandkids. My grandfather died at 66, also never meeting his. Shortly after that, I knew there was an idea there, whether a short story or script, but I had to deal with my own grief first. A friend and I discussed heart disease running in both our families, and we agreed that since we’re pretty much screwed anyway, we may as well do everything we wanted to do in life. This would become the central plot for the musical.”

The story centres around a character who copes with her terminal cancer diagnosis by starting a secret society of strangers who together do all the things in life they always wanted to, but were too afraid to on their own. But when a stunt goes wrong, a seemingly innocent group of “bucket listers” gets branded an unruly group of vigilantes who must decide who they want to be: reckless glory seekers or heroes.

Creating the League of the Damned represented a return to the theatre for Leon after almost a thirty-year hiatus. In partnership with Mike Albert, his best friend of over 40 years, the two wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic while on 10-minute breaks between meetings, on a subway commute, and well into the night, all to make their idea a reality.

Coming into the creative process “totally raw,” Leon and Albert put out a casting call in online communities, admitting to potential cast members that they had no experience and little credibility, but that, “we're doing this because we believe that it's going to be amazing.”

Even though the casting call went out during the pandemic, when most of the city’s theatre operations were shut down or postponed, they received interest from over 100 actors that they shortlisted to the five actors who will star in the production.

Leon credits a big part of the production’s process and success to the involvement and passion of the cast. “What's really cool is that the actors brought so much to the table. They've collaborated in so many ways, beyond learning the lines or the music, but also bringing in their own personalities that have shifted what we wrote to make it even better. There is something so incredible about that.”

With the show premiering this Friday, Leon recalls his conversations with his father when he was active in theatre in high school. “He would always equate what I did in theatre to what he did in business. He would compare the role I play in high school theatre to the role he played selling suits. So trying something like this is a total fish out of water experience for me. But I’m trying it with a bunch of people who are just as freaked out as I am, and somehow it’s going to work out. We’ve sort of come full circle. I think my dad would be excited about it.”

And even though Leon’s path to the theatre was unexpected, he credits his time at 91ŃÇÉ« with providing the foundation for his artistic pursuits.

“91ŃÇɫ’s approach to interdisciplinary education gave me the courage to not only pursue big ideas but recognize that every skill I learn builds onto the next. Sure, theatre's pretty new for me, but over 20 years in marketing has prepared me more for it more than I ever thought possible. I fully credit that kind of thinking to the grounding I got at 91ŃÇÉ«."

League of the Damned will run at the Spadina Theatre in Toronto July 15, 16, 17, 22, and 23. For more information, . Fifteen per cent of every ticket sold will be donated to Turning Point, a mental health charity empowering youth to make positive change.

The post Alumni Spotlight: Mike Leon (BA ’00) appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.

“91ŃÇÉ« has long had a reputation for having one of the strongest psychology departments in the country, rife with diverse talent and expertise among faculty ranging from neuroscience to clinical psychology to social psychology,” says Bri. “With this in mind, there was no better place to embark on my educational journey than at 91ŃÇÉ«.”

Along with the university’s “immense ethnocultural diversity,” she feels 91ŃÇÉ« nurtured her passion for her field and allowed her to cultivate connections she feels will last a lifetime. As a doctoral candidate at 91ŃÇÉ« in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology, as well as a part-time MBA student specializing in health industry management and organization studies at Schulich, Bri is maintaining a fervent devotion to leadership, social advocacy, and outreach. She is dedicated to health promotion initiatives for vulnerable groups, with a particular emphasis on geriatric, neurodiverse (e.g., autism spectrum), and BIPOC populations in her research and clinical activities. Her passions include empowering and uplifting the growing Black student population and engaging in advocacy work to address the challenges faced by racialized populations in obtaining culturally sensitive mental healthcare.

“I believe that we are in a revolutionary era, in which BIPOC individuals have a larger platform than ever before to advocate for progression towards equality. I pride myself on mentoring aspiring BIPOC professionals in hopes of encouraging more racialized students to have the courage to pursue higher education and shake up the status quo.”

According to Bri, the health disparities faced by racialized populations in accessing mental health services are due in part to the cultural biases inherent to the infrastructure of our healthcare system, as well as the lack of minority representation among clinicians. She aspires to contribute a special fusion of clinical and business expertise to execute systems-level changes related to the equity and diversity of Canada’s delivery of psychological services for all vulnerable populations.

"At the very least, I hope to be a symbol for little Black girls
of the great feats that one can accomplish
regardless of visible minority status." 

In line with this goal, after identifying gaps in training, Bri co-implemented a transgender awareness workshop for trainees and faculty in clinical psychology at 91ŃÇÉ«. She continues to immerse herself in roles that directly benefit her professional commitment to equity, including her positions as inaugural student representative for the Society of Black Neuropsychology, co-president of Black Students in Psychology at 91ŃÇÉ«, and as a member of the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP) Anti-Racism Working Group.

Much of her knowledge and experience surrounding inequity in mental health care comes from her advocacy work with diverse populations, as well as her direct experience with the psychological healthcare system through her clinical training. However, her recognition about the common devaluation of mental health among racialized populations became clear to her at an early age by hearing first-hand about the experiences and perspectives of other BIPOC individuals, including her African family. She has since been motivated to reframe generations of culturally-informed misperceptions of mental health. Her father – originally quite cynical – has been affected directly by her education and career and is now supportive of Bri’s belief that taking care of your mind is as important as caring for your heart.

“It is one of my most satisfying accomplishments as both a clinician and a daughter to hear him say those words,” says Bri. She aspires to help to permeate this message across diverse communities, and she has now created space to influence. “A career as a clinical neuropsychologist with expertise in health industry management and organization studies will allow me to evoke positive change at a micro-level through direct client care, and at a macro-level through research and institutional reform.

“At the very least, I hope to be a symbol for little Black girls of the great feats that one can accomplish regardless of visible minority status. I truly believe that the systemic barriers in the way are only half of the story; one of the biggest barriers on the path to success manifests in the form of the self-doubt and self-criticism that cripples us from taking the chance and betting on ourselves to strive for our goals. Anything is possible if you get out of your own way and truly believe it can be done.”

Bri was named one of 91ŃÇÉ«'s 2022 Top 30 Alumni Under 30. Learn more about the program and the impressive young alumni on the list.

The post Alumni Spotlight: Bri Darboh (BA ’15, MA ’18) appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.