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During the pandemic, sa国际传媒官网网页入口 performer Jen Stephenson realized she had developed a serious alcohol and drug problem.

After three overdoses, hospitalization and rehab, she decided to turn her trauma into art.

鈥淏ig Fat Mess of a Lady鈥� opens at The Box Annex, 100 Gold Ave. SW, on Friday, April 19.

The original, one-person show is a journey through talk therapy, monologues and original songs in a portrait of love, sobriety, transition and survival.

鈥淚t was born out of a little bit of trauma,鈥� Stephenson said. 鈥淚t was very intense. But I realized I hadn鈥檛 been on stage in three years.鈥�

Immunocompromised, she thought if she wrote a solo show, she could mandate masks at the door.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 basically how this was born,鈥� Stephenson said.

The play includes a conversation between her and an AI therapist. Stephenson also sings and writes her own songs.

鈥淚t has things about my history; about recovery and my mother and my father, who鈥檚 trans and came out when I was 17,鈥� she said.

She described it as 鈥渆qual parts hilarious and devastating.鈥�

Stephenson has been acting on sa国际传媒官网网页入口 stages since the age of 6, joining more than 80 separate New Mexico productions. She spent nearly a decade working with Mother Road Theatre Productions.

鈥淟ife has become much smaller for me,鈥� Stephenson said. 鈥淚 needed to find a way to do what I love (acting on stage) while also protecting myself and other immunocompromised people. I found a theater with better than average air recirculation. I鈥檓 also asking the audience members to mask with respirators I provide.

鈥淚 soon recognized this was a chance to create the specific parts of performing I鈥檝e been missing and write something personal to me. I ended up with something I love.鈥�