Annual Newsletter: July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014
I am still rather in a state of suspension over the power the program left me with. This was the first time I —Sandy Gaynor, Associate Professor, have actually seen healing happen through a humanities program. School of Nursing, North Park University
Dear Supporters, Whether you’ve witnessed or worked on one of our shows, shared your story with us, volunteered your time or donated, you know firsthand the power of Erasing the Distance. Thank you for being such an active advocate and believer in what we do. Because of you, we have currently reached over 50,000 people by using theatre to shed light on mental health issues…and our goal in the next year is to reach thousands more. Here are just a few examples of the impact that your support has had in the last year. WITH YOUR HELP, we are changing people’s lives. This is only the beginning of what we can do together. With deepest gratitude,
Brighid O'Shaughnessy Founder/Executive Artistic Director
Public Performances
David (right) with Len Bajenski, the actor who portrayed his story in Veterans’ Voices.
Veterans’ Voices made its world premiere in November 2013 and focused specifically on the mental health issues facing servicemen and women, veterans, and their families. David was one of our storytellers for Veterans’ Voices. He experienced tremendous losses while serving our country in Vietnam, and though his physical body healed, the invisible wounds of PTSD remained. He was never able to talk about his struggles with loved ones, so we were thrilled when David arrived at the show with a busload of 25 family members.
The cast and crew of Veterans’ Voices.
Veterans’ Voices was a chance for my family to hear what I’d been going through for years. I hadn’t had the guts to open up before. My daughter had always wondered why I was so short with her mom and with them as kids. It had seemed like all of a sudden, I would just be mean and hurt their feelings. After seeing the show, my daughter said that she was sorry for seeing me the way she had been. She said, ‘I had no idea what you were going –David, storyteller through.’
Touring Anne first shared her story with us as part of the 2011 world premiere Finding Peace in This House. Recently, she had the opportunity to connect with us in a new way, as part of our ETD touring program.
When I first shared my story with ETD about being a homeless youth due to my father’s severe mental illness, I felt freer - like a captive bird inside my body had been released and had been permitted to fly off into the sky. Last spring, ETD notified me that my story would be performed again, this time at each of the Chicago City Colleges. I knew that there were many homeless students hidden in the City Colleges, so I asked if I could partner with ETD. At the end of each performance, I introduced myself and explained how the students could access resources around the city, including at Unity Parenting and Counseling, Inc., where I now work. After every performance where I spoke, one or more youth identified themselves afterwards as needing help. I left each performance feeling very empowered. ETD gave me the opportunity to turn the worst thing that has ever happened to me, youth homelessness, into a work of art that continues to de-stigmatize the issue and has now directly helped homeless college students! –Anne, storyteller
Training We had the pleasure recently of conducting a one-day training workshop on the ETD methodology at St. Patrick High School, an all-boys school on the west side of Chicago. Students worked together to share their own stories about mental health issues, culminating in mini-theatrical performances. The goal was to introduce them to docu-drama theater, stimulate candid and safe conversations about mental health, and build community among the students.
Working with Erasing the Distance was a truly transcendent experience. The members of this fine company treated my students with a graceful respect, St. Patrick High School student workshop participants. a powerful sense of honesty, and a passionate commitment to listening and telling stories. The students felt cared for and listened to, and that is what allowed them to speak boldly and create art from their own lives. I was both impressed and moved by how much compassion was shown to my students, and the care the leaders took to ease the students into turning their stories into theatrical scenes was just wonderful. - Geoffrey Arndt, St. Patrick teacher
Brighid O'Shaughnessy leads a training session on ETD's methodology.
Financials and Statistics More than 250 individuals supported ETD with financial contributions during this past fiscal year, and countless others lent their support through volunteering and in-kind donations. We have been strengthening our foundation relationships and are excited to be entering our 3rd year with the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and 4th year with Rebecca’s Dream. FY2015 begins new foundation relationships with The Chicago Community Trust and Arts Work Fund.
Erasing the Distance got new office space this year! For the first time in our history, ETD has a dedicated office and rehearsal space. We have the good fortune to be sharing an office with Imagination Theater at 4001 N. Ravenswood, Suite 503C in Chicago. Stop on by and say hello!
Looking Ahead We have been working on our new public performance initiative, The Depression in Families Project, for over a year. Commissioned by Rebecca’s Dream, we have conducted a series of devising workshops to create a new production that focuses on the life-altering effects of depression on one family. The play will be told in ETD’s signature docu-drama form, using the real words of our storytellers. However, we are moving away from our typical monologue-only performance mode, shaping the different family members’ stories into a more interwoven narrative. Rehearsals commence in the fall, and the world premiere public staging of the project will be in December 2014 at Theater Wit in Chicago. Stay tuned for more info coming soon!
Project adapter Gedalya Chinn
Project director Nikki Zaleski and producer Brighid O’Shaughnessy
Erasing the Distance Family Staff Brighid O’Shaughnessy, Founder/Executive Artistic Director Diana Clegg, Managing Director Jennifer Mathews, Communications Director Board of Directors Ritu Malhotra, President Parren James, Treasurer Terence O’Shaughnessy, Secretary Romecia Andrews-Nixon, Director Daniel Griffin, Director Harry Leider, Director David Strauss, Director Mental Health Advisory Board Mihaela Campion, MA, LCPC Caren Friedman, LSW Rebecca Fritz, LCSW Grady L. Garner, Jr., PhD Melinda Gould, PsyD Jamie Pekarek Krohn, LCPC Erin Mason, PhD April Porter, LCSW
Members of the ETD family.
We mourn the recent loss of beloved ETD artist Trinity P. Murdock. His talent and heart will be greatly missed.
Top shelf… graceful, passionate actors… resulting in performances that are both thought-provoking and emotionally harrowing. -Chicago Reader
Get Connected With ETD – Visit us at www.erasingthedistance.org. – Like us at facebook.com/erasingthedistance. – Follow us at twitter.com/erasedistance. – Watch us at youtube.com/erasingthedistance.
Shedding light on mental health issues through theatre