Erasing the Distance (ETD) and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology embarked on an exciting new partnership earlier this year-an elective opportunity that gave students the chance to experience first-hand the power of storytelling in the healing process.
With the guidance of ETD Executive Artistic Director Brighid O'Shaughnessy and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and ETD Board Vice President Jamie Pekarek Krohn, students conducted and transcribed interviews from individuals affected by mental illness throughout the Spring 2011 semester. Students then edited and shaped those interviews into theatrical monologues. The monologues will be performed by professional actors in the world premiere staging of FINDING PEACE IN THIS HOUSE, a one-night-only, free theatrical event.
FINDING PEACE IN THIS HOUSE explores how a person's "house" can represent many things-a terror-filled home, a body that abandons you, a haunting past, or even a literal prison. Witness the powerful true stories of six people struggling to find peace in their house...despite
The Shadows that lurk in the corners.
"When working with someone with mental illness or addiction, it can be very easy to see him or her as a diagnosis, a set of symptoms, an 'other' in need of services and assistance. What's been exciting about this project has been watching future clinicians learn that while diagnoses' are important, people are so much more than them. They are human beings with pasts, with stories, with dreams," says ETD Executive Artistic Director, Brighid O'Shaughnessy.
FINDING PEACE IN THIS HOUSE
One Night Only!
Thursday, June 23, 7:00pm
Chicago Cultural Center's Claudia Cassidy Theater
77 E. Washington Street, 2nd Floor
Directed by Brighid O'Shaughnessy (ETD Executive Artistic Director)
Featuring actors Kierra Bunch, Wes Clark,
Desla Epison, Millicent Hurley and Jennifer Mathews.
This event is FREE. Reservations are strongly recommended.
To reserve tickets, please visit brownpapertickets.com and search "Finding Peace in This House."
Erasing the Distance (ETD) is a not-for-profit organization that sheds light on mental illness through theatre. Founded in 2005, ETD generates awareness, disarms stigma, and sparks a dialogue about mental illness by creating professional theatrical productions based on real people's experiences.
So far, Erasing the Distance has reached over 25,000 audience members. Recent productions include Stronger Than Silence: surviving our secrets, a custom show about sexual assault presented in collaboration with C4 Quetzal Center; Falling Petals, a show about mental illness from Asian American perspectives; and Will You Stand Up?, a three-part violence prevention series presented in collaboration with Affinity Community Services. For more information about ETD, please visit
www.ErasingTheDistance.org.
Brighid O'Shaughnessy (Director) is the founder and Executive Artistic Director of Erasing the Distance. A sought-after speaker and workshop leader, she has presented at such places as University of Illinois Chicago, DePaul University, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, the Chicago Arts Educator Forum, and the National Active Minds Conference. Brighid holds a Masters of Arts degree from DePaul University, where she was granted the prestigious
David O. Justice award for educating communities about mental health in non-traditional and creative ways. Last year, she was named one of 200 leaders in the U.S. making a significant difference in their community by Extra Mile America. She has a B.A. in Theatre from Santa Clara University, where she directed True Colors, a social-issue theatre ensemble. She has studied with Michael Rohd, internationally known activist and artist. Brighid's experience as a director, actor and teacher committed to social change has spanned over 15 years, including time leading the Thresholds Theatre Arts Project and Redmoon's Dramagirls, as well as creating many original productions with Chicago Public School teens based on their own personal stories. She also taught at the Acting Studio Chicago for five years. Brighid is a mental health educator with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Chicago and is certified in Mental Health First Aid.
Kierra Bunch (actor) is a Chicago native and cast member of the children's television show "Green Screen Adventures." Most recently, she has worked with Urban Theater Co., ETA Theater, Black Ensemble Theater and Collaboraction Theater, with many theater shows under her belt.
Wes Clark (actor) has been acting and directing in Chicago since 2002. Favorite roles include a murderous guitar player in Strange Tree Group's Mr. Spacky: the Man Who Was Continuously Followed by Wolves, Iago in Othello at Dominican University, and Tom in Infamous Commonwealth Theatre's critically acclaimed The Grapes of Wrath. Wes has directed plays and one-acts for the Barrington Area
Arts Council, Boxer Rebellion Theater, EP Theater and Bruised Orange Theater Company. He can also often be found playing guitar in Strange Tree Group's house band, The Afterlife.
Desla Epison's (actor) theater credits include but are not limited to: Howling Wolfe Story as Lilly Barnett and Tribute to
Etta James as Etta #2 at Black Ensemble Theater and Home The Musical as Pattie Mae and Shortsighted Black vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae as Safreeta Mae at ETA Theater. She has taught Improv and Theater at many Charter Schools throughout Chicago with an after-school program she started called "Voice Your Soul."
Millicent Hurley (actor) has worked the past couple of years with Redtwist Theater, appearing as Agnes in A Delicate Balance and Lettice in Lettice and Lovage (Jeff Nominated for Principal Actress). She has appeared many times at Raven Theatre, most notably as Maggie in Dancing at Lughnasa (Jeff Citation for Best Supporting Actress, After Dark Award). Millicent also has had the pleasure of working with
Steppenwolf Theatre, Lifeline Theater, Timeline Theatre, Eclipse Theater,
About Face Theatre, Chicago Children's Theatre, The
Goodman Theatre, Bare Bones Theatre, Griffin Theatre,
Chicago Dramatists, Next Theatre, and Prop Theatre.
Jennifer Mathews (actor) is a proud member of Erasing the Distance's artistic ensemble and recently became ETD's Communications Director. She is a company member with Infamous Commonwealth Theatre, where she has appeared in several productions and served as their Director of Public Relations for five years. She is also Director of Advertising and Public Relations at Adventure Stage Chicago and was most recently seen onstage in Sideshow Theatre's Heddatron, part of
Steppenwolf Theatre's 2nd Annual Garage Rep.
FINDING PEACE IN THIS HOUSE is presented in collaboration with The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture.
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