Photo Flash: First Look at CDE's A PIECE OF MY HEART

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) concludes its 15th season dedicated to the woman's voice, and its ongoing mission of "performance with a purpose," with Shirley Lauro's A Piece of My Heart, directed by CDE fellow Victoria Alvarez-Chacon, and described by the Association of Vietnam Veterans of America as "the most enduring play on Vietnam in the nation." Scroll down for a first look at the production!

A Piece of My Heart follows tells the true experiences of six women working in Vietnam during wartime. The powerful accounts of these women - five nurses and one country western singer - take place before, during and after Vietnam, and each story concludes with a personal token left at the memorial wall in Washington.

A Piece of My Heart originally premiered in New York's Manhattan Theatre Club and has been performed over 2,000 times worldwide. In accordance to the original playwright's intention, as well as the multiple dispensary nature that defines CDE's work, the May production of A Piece of My Heart will be choreographed, directed and designed with all five senses in mind, creating a fully immersive experience to showcase the contemporary parallels of these woman's stories through movement and live music within the organic architecture of Ebenezer Lutheran Church.

The show runs about two hours with one 15-minute intermission. Each performance is free to veterans. On Mother's Day, all mothers can see the show for free and will receive a flower.