Erasing the Distance to Launch 2016 PopUp Series with AMYGDALA REST

Erasing the Distance (ETD) is proud to announce the first production of our 2016 PopUp Series: AMYGDALA REST, produced by ETD company member Nikki Zaleski and directed by Kira Silverstein.

In the human brain, the amygdala is the area that attempts to integrate strong emotions with our behavior and motivation. It is the seat of the "fight or flight" response. Love is one of the strongest emotions humans experience. Love can be glorious or dangerous...or both. Who or what decides? Amygdala Rest explores the mental health effects of falling in and out of love. How does drinking a cocktail of love hormones, or waking up without that drink, leave short and long-term effects on our brain? Blending the words of noted scholars such as Helen Fisher and Diane Ackerman with true stories of ordinary people, three performers portray multiple characters who explore, challenge and confront how our minds and bodies grapple with love.

Producer Nikki Zaleski talks about the genesis of the production: "Working in the reproductive justice movement for the past 8 years (which focuses heavily on love and relationships), I teach regularly about the effects of oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin in our brains and bodies. I want to better understand how our hearts' stories interact with our brains' chemistry."

AMYGDALA REST features stories collected by: Kira Silverstein, Marianna Green, Tiffany Dow & Nikki Zaleski*, with adapted text from Diane Ackerman's "The Brain on Love," Helen Fisher's "Why We Love, Why We Cheat," and Taryn Hillin's "When Dopamine Met Oxytocin". Produced by Nikki Zaleski*, directed by Kira Silverstein, and choreographed by Tiffany Dow, AMYGDALA REST will be performed by Millie Hurley*, Mike Ooi and Akua Sarhene. Understudy: Scott Letscher. Stage Manager: Mariana Green. *ETD Company Member

AMYGDALA REST runs February 12-13, 2016 at 7:30pm at Doejo, located at 23 E. Illinois St., Chicago, IL (enter through After-Words New and Used Books). Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at door.To purchase tickets, visit amygrest.brownpapertickets.com.

The PopUp Series is a collection of four unique productions that will be presented in February, May, August and November of 2016. Each production will consist of a limited amount of performances held in non-traditional performing spaces. Each PopUp will be produced by a different ETD company member.

In the words of Founder/Artistic Director Brighid O'Shaugnhessy: "The pop-up series was inspired by our desire as an organization to put the artistic reins in the hands of our company members. Each of our artists comes to Erasing the Distance with a passion for and a commitment to our mission and sees mental health through a unique and personal lens. We knew if we gave them the opportunity to produce, curate and direct new work that inspired them that they could excite our audiences in unusual and unexpected ways."

Founded in 2005 by Brighid O'Shaughnessy, Erasing the Distance (ETD) uses the power of performance to disarm stigma, spark dialogue, educate, and promote healing surrounding issues of mental health. ETD collects true stories from people whose lives have been impacted by mental health issues. We sculpt the stories into theatrical pieces for the stage, which are then performed by professional actors. Every performance is followed by a moderated, interactive dialogue with the audience that addresses the themes they have just seen.

In the last ten years, ETD has reached over 56,000 audience members through public performances and touring and education programs. For more information about us, please visit www.erasingthedistance.org.

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