Is It Time to Reevaluate Onstage Portrayals of Mental Illness?

Giselle has lost it. Her beloved Albrecht has deceived her and is betrothed to another woman. Upon the discovery of this betrayal the “fragile” Giselle descends into a grief-driven psychosis in perhaps the most famous moment in classical ballet: the mad scene. She collapses, tears at her hair and recounts her dance with Albrecht in […]