by Amber Merlini (directed by Kristopher Jansma)

Memoir in Progress is a coming-of-age memoir which illustrates the growth of mental illness from childhood to adulthood. The memoir begins at the start of puberty, introducing the destruction of innocence as sexuality and changing bodies are introduced, and continues to the end of a graduate school education depicting the continuing aftermath of anorexia, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. It details the experience of a young girl trying to make it into adulthood despite the collapse of her mental health in adolescence.

A young woman trying to find relief from herself, finds herself with substance abuse and toxic relationships which are often intertwined. Attempts at her finding love often end in heartbreak, as she fails in trying to find a support system. The narrator strives for balance between her self-image and mental health, yearning for release from her impulsive thoughts.

The memoir begins on Long Island in the 2010s at the start of adolescence and ends in the 2020s in present day New Paltz, NY. This coming-of-age story represents growing up as a woman with mental illness in the Gen-Z generation. Memoir In Progress is a modern-day narrative of trying to find love when you don’t even love yourself.