May 17th, 2012 
Photo Credit: Erasing the Distance. Pictured: Stephanie Leigh Rose as Meagan
Opening night of Good Enough, a play produced by Erasing the Distance (ETD) and sponsored by Rebecca’s Dream, was a success. ETD is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to shedding the light on mental health issues through theatre. It was founded in 2005 by Brighid O’Shaughnessy. All the plays consist of true stories from people whose lives have been impacted by mental health issues. Each performance is followed by an interactive discussion that addresses the themes seen in the play.
There was a reception that began at 6 p.m and was sponsored by Whole Foods. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served until 7:30 when the play began. T-shirts and mugs were available for purchase for $15. The dress was casual cocktail attire. There were paintings on display from an art therapy class that were available for purchase.
Guests were asked to fill out a before and after survey based on their knowledge of depression or bipolar. The play started promptly at 7:30, with Jennifer Mathews as Lyn, a woman living with bipolar disorder. Each monologue was about 10-12 minutes, and told the story of
Photo Credit: Erasing the Distance. Pictured: Maggie Choumbakos as Ranjana
each woman’s path to their own success. The second story was Maggie Choumbakos as Ranjana, who was a woman living with depression. The third was Meredith Siemsen as April, a woman living with bipolar. The fourth was Katie Genualdi as Julie, as a woman living with depression, but also told the story of her friend, giving the audience an idea of what it’s like to be on the outside view of the disorder. The last monologue was Stephanie Leigh Rose as Meagan, a successful bipolar.
When the play was over, there was a discussion on the themes that were seen in the play, and for the audience to ask any questions they had. Many audience members were extremely thankful for the play, and shared experiences of events brought up during the play.
Overall, the opening night of Good Enough, was an extreme success. Everyone who attended has some sort of relationship or similar experience to the stories being told.
WHEN: May 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Hoover-Leppen Theatre at Center on Halsted
3658 N. Halstead, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60613
Ph. 773-472-6469
TICKETS: $15 advanced purchase, $20 at door, $10 for students/seniors/groups of 10+. Please click here to purchase tickets or they can be bought at door.
