ETD to Present TELL ME WHAT YOU REMEMBER, Opening 12/1

Erasing the Distance (ETD), a Chicago-based arts organization that sheds light on mental health issues through theatre, will present the world premiere of Tell Me What You Remember, a devised play about depression in families that opens Dec. 1, 2014. Tell me What You Remember is adapted by Gedalya Chinn, directed by Nikki Zaleski, and co-produced by Rebecca's Dream.

Tell Me What You Remember depicts the true story of one family's life-altering battle with depression, using their distinct journey to illustrate the universal truth of how deeply depression can impact both those who suffer, and those who love them.

ETD collects true stories from people whose lives have been impacted by mental health issues. Tell Me What You Remember is told in ETD's signature docu-drama form, using the real words of the storytellers. However, in a departure from ETD's standard monologue format, the stories in Tell Me What You Remember are shaped into a more interwoven narrative.

Tell Me What You Remember is the culmination of ETD's year-long Depression in Families Project, which was commissioned by Rebecca's Dream and led by the creative team of producer Brighid O'Shaughnessy, director Nikki Zaleski, and adapter Gedalya Chinn. The project began in late 2013 with a series of workshops training students and volunteers on story collecting and shaping. After the initial stories were collected and transcribed, script devising and development workshops continued throughout the first half of 2014. A public reading of the piece was held in July 2014, and feedback from that reading helped shape the final script.

"We are thrilled to be bringing this family's story to life through theatre," says ETD Founder Executive Artistic Director, Brighid O'Shaughnessy. "It beautifully illustrates the extraordinary ripple effects that occur when someone deals with a mental illness, both in his/her present day relationships as well as across generations. It serves as a visceral reminder that while our past stories in many ways have already been written, we can choose what we want our future story to be."

Tell Me What You Remember
Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:30pm - Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 & 16, 2014
At Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee, Chicago

Cast: Graham Brown, Jennifer Mathews*, Stephanie Stroud, Eileen Vorbach+ & Fred A. Wellisch

Production Crew: Gedalya Chinn (adapter), Nikki Zaleski (director), Brighid O'Shaughessy* (producer), Rachel Staelens (stage manager), Jacob Watson (set design), John Kelly (lighting design), Matthew Chapman (sound design) & Liviu Pasare (video design)

Story Collectors: Tom Barrett, Reena Benson, Jared Fernley*, Stephanie Grady & Brighid O'Shaughnessy*

Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $15 for students and seniors. Group rates also available.
For tickets, visit whatyouremember@brownpapertickets.com.

*ETD Company Member +Actors Equity Member

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