Theater project focuses on depression in families

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Nine years ago, Chicago theatre company Erasing the Distance was created to increase awareness about mental illness.

All the performances are based on real life stories, and this year, the group has a unique project that addresses depression in families.

"In the past we've primarily been monologue focuses. With this one we're talking to multiple people within the same family unit mothers brothers daughters spouses and we're getting perspective about what it means when one or more people is affected by depression in their family," Brighid O'Shaughnessy, founder of Erasing the Distance, said.

Depression in Families is a year-long project.

"Three families will be highlighted and they'll be shaped into a script by an actual playwright still keeping all the real words of the people," O'Shaughnessy said.

For the first time everything is being filmed. Nikki Zaleski is the director.

"There's a documentary being made alongside the performance creation because the idea is that performance reaches the audiences that will actually come to see the play but the documentary will be able to reach a greater audience and cast a wider net," Zaleski said. "There will be a performance development workshop in early July and then auditions will follow that."

The performances will be held in early December at the Wit Theatre in Chicago.

"The idea that storytelling helps you make sense of your own life so when we tell our stories to other people we're actually authoring our own experience and we're saying into the world what we want our lives to look like," Zaleski said.

http://www.erasingthedistance.org/