Queen City Queer Theatre Collective to Present THE ANXIETY PROJECT Development Lab

Cincinnati-based Queen City Queer Theatre Collective will host a 10-day developmental lab for the new song cycle musical, The Anxiety Project. The workshop will culminate in a final public performance on Monday June 13th, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. Based on real stories of those suffering with anxiety/depression, this new contemporary musical features book and lyrics by David Brush and music by Rachel Dean. Queen City Queer Theatre Collective co-founder and Artistic Director Lindsey Augusta Mercer will direct the project.

The Anxiety Project is described as "a new song cycle that explores true stories of suffering, loss, struggle, alienation, friendship, brokenness, love, hate and everything that comes with anxiety and depression disorders. The show combats one of the last great stigmas, giving voice to the people who live it - using the actual words of those for whom this disease is a large part of their lives. At once poignant and touching, this new musical explores the effects of mental illness on our collective minds - and how ignoring it leaves ripples in our social existence."

"The project is really a labor of love," says Brush. "The stigma of mental illness means we are losing more and more people every year to this disease. The Anxiety Project is born from a desire Rachel and I had to give a voice to those who feel the shame and fear that often accompany both the symptoms and the treatment of anxiety/depression."

The genesis of the show came from submitted stories to a blog series of the same name through Ryan Scott Oliver's Crazytown. Brush and Dean wrote many of the show's songs through the blog forum. Cincinnati will represent the show's first live incarnation. "There's nothing more helpful for writers than getting to work with actors and seeing new work on its feet," says Dean. "QCQTC is an integral part of the process of developing new pieces, and we're so grateful for their work with us and with other writers."

The Queen City Queer Theatre Collective was founded in 2014 with the aim to diversify the Cincinnati theatre scene free of cost, while challenging theatrical convention and providing a place for local artists to experiment with their craft. In it's second season, Producing Artistic Director Lindsey Augusta Mercer has been guiding the group to foster more development of new work. "As an organization, we strive to be a voice for the underrepresented, and to be a home for the emerging artists that are doing the kind of work we feel Cincinnati, (and the world,) needs," says Mercer. "This is the most intensive workshop process we've ever been able to facilitate, and we are so thrilled to see the outcome."

The cast for the lab includes : Andrew Maloney, Erin McCamley, Griff Budworth, Hannah Gregory, Kaleigh-Brooke Dillingham, Robert Carlton Stimmel, and Spenser Smith.

The June 13th public performance will be held at Below Zero Lounge, 1120 Walnut Street, downtown Cincinnati. Admission to the performance is free, though donations are accepted at the door. More information on The Anxiety Project can be found at dean-and-brush.squarespace.com and on Queen City Queer Theatre Collective at facebook.com/qcqtccincinnati.

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