Erasing the Distance Announces the World Premiere of THE SMALL, DARK ROOM, Beginning 4/8
Back to the Articleby BWW News Desk
 Erasing the Distance (ETD) will present the closing production of our 2012-2013 season: the World Premiere of THE SMALL, DARK ROOM, directed by Reshmi Hazra. How much does-or should-our cultural backgrounds impact how we deal with mental health issues such as depression, disability, abuse and suicide? In this world premiere production, six Americans of Asian and Middle Eastern descent share true stories full of light, hope and transcendence that grapple with that very question. The Stories: THE SMALL, DARK ROOM was created in collaboration with students from the University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) Asian American Studies Program. For the first time in UIC history, students majoring in such areas as Psychology, Disability Studies, and Nursing were able to take a course called Asian Americans, Community Engagement and Mental Health. Through the course, students had an opportunity to understand mental health issues up close. They interviewed people from their own ethnic communities who have dealt firsthand with issues such as depression, schizophrenia, domestic violence, and more. The students then turned these interviews into monologues. One of the overriding goals with THE SMALL, DARK ROOM is to break down the intense stigma and shame often found around these issues in the Asian and Middle Eastern communities. During the run of THE SMALL, DARK ROOM, the theater lobby will feature an exhibit of works by artists Chun-Shan (Sandie) Yi and Ghaith S. Jarew that are inspired by the show. All pieces are for sale, and a percentage of the proceeds will directly support Erasing the Distance programming. The art exhibit is curated by ETD Artistic Associate Meredith Siemsen. Each performance of THE SMALL, DARK ROOM will be followed by a moderated talkback. Mental health resources and crisis volunteers are also present at every performance for the audience to utilize as needed. THE SMALL, DARK ROOM is made possible by the UIC Asian American Studies Program and the UIC AANAPISI Initiative, which is fully funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving-Institutions Program. This show is also partially supported by the Kiran Bavikatte Foundation, the Asian American Suicide Prevention Initiative (AASPI), The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. THE SMALL, DARK ROOM Directed by: Reshmi Hazra TICKETS: $15 in advance, $20 at door, discounts for students/seniors/groups of 10+. |
