Genevieve Aichele, New Hampshire Theatre Project's founder and artistic director, has been performing scripts and stories written by other people for 30 years. Now she's hoping to relate to her audience how to overcome the overwhelming effects of depression and personal loss by staging a one-woman performance combining monologues, poetry and song.

Through "Resurrection," she wants her audience to understand that "it's OK to feel pain," she says.

"If you don't feel pain, you aren't human," said Aichele.

At first, the play was supposed to be performed comically, reminiscent of Aichele's manner, which is light-hearted, kind and down to earth. But then it delved into more serious subjects, such as the violent death of a very close friend and the contemplation of suicide to erase the pain of it all.

"Bad things just happen," said Aichele. "You can choose to accept that, or you can choose to let it destroy you."

After learning of her friend's death, Aichele struggled and ultimately suffered from a deep depression. While observers may have thought that she was at the height of her career, she began to sink further and further into depression until suicide became an ultimatum.

Since 1988, Aichele has received many awards, including the New Hampshire Governor's Award for Excellence in Arts in Education and the Portsmouth Spotlight Award for her work in Community Arts, both in 2001. In 2002, she received an award for Outstanding Achievement in American Theatre from the New England Theatre Conference.

"I didn't want anyone to know that I struggled with depression," she said. "I felt like I was the only one who felt that way."

Through much spiritual exploration she overcame her depression, and she wants to share her experience so that others may learn to do the same.

"I want people to think and talk about things that other people won't talk about," said Aichele.

Aichele first performed the show in February 2004, and she felt like it was a "work in progress." A year later, it's more fully realized.

Aichele explained that her play focuses on four major points: growing up Catholic, coping with her friend's murder, struggling with the real possibility of suicide, and realizing that everyone must endure and overcome psychological pain in many forms. "Resurrection" also incorporates Shakespeare (namely, Macbeth), music, poetry and storytelling along with her artistic tale of achieving personal enlightenment.

Aichele has been educating young people through theater for years. She mainly focuses on middle school-aged children because, she says, "children at that age are much more capable of deep thought, more than we give them credit for." She added that she believed that children that age are "looking for guidance, and it's when they need teachers the most."

Aichele will be performing "Resurrection" at West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington St. in Portsmouth on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4-13, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15; call 603-431-6644 or contact This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Seating is limited and reservations are recommended.