Arts-Entertainment
On Monday, November 17th at 7 pm, The Blue Slipper Theatre and ASPEN (Abuse Support & Prevention Education Network) will co-host a public conversation about men’s mental health at the Blue Slipper Theatre located at 113 East Callender Street in Livingston.
The informal panel discussion will feature clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Spromberg, provisionally-licensed counselor Samuel Mascari, and educator Brett Ozment, and will be moderated by filmmaker and The Aliens director Sarah Sherman. The event is free and open to the public, with audience participation encouraged.
This community discussion coincides with the Blue Slipper’s production of Annie Baker’s The Aliens (running November 14–16 and 21–23). The play follows two disillusioned young men, KJ and Jasper, who spend their days behind a small coffee shop talking philosophy, life, and music with 17-year-old Evan, a new employee drawn into their orbit. Gentle, funny, and quietly profound, The Aliens explores friendship, alienation, and the struggles of men navigating loneliness and emotional barriers in modern America.
The November 17th event builds on these themes, offering space for honest discussion about the unique challenges men face in accessing mental health support. Nationally and locally, men experience higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and suicide, yet are less likely than women to seek help. In Montana, the crisis is especially acute: the state’s suicide rate is double the national average, and men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide.
“People know these problems are real because they’re seeing them play out in their own lives,” says author Richard V. Reeves, who urges compassion for “vulnerable boys and men” while continuing to champion women’s rights. Psychologists note that cultural expectations around toughness and self-reliance often prevent men from reaching out for help—but, as Psychology Today reminds us, “it doesn’t have to be that way.”
ASPEN has previously partnered with Dr. Spromberg for public talks such as Engaging Men in Violence Prevention, and they and the Blue Slipper invite community members to join this timely conversation. No RSVP is required.
Tickets for The Aliens—a sharp and tender drama by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Annie Baker are available at www.blueslipper.org.