Out of the Depths takes us into the hearts and minds of real Houstonians who struggle with various types of mental illness. The topic of mental illness does not have to be uncomfortable, heavy, or kept a secret. Local artists in the disciplines of dance and theatre are breathing life into the true stories of 10 adults who said NO to fear and YES to shattering the stigma of mental illness. Director Adrienne Shearer was inspired to lead this co-creative project in order to bring healing, awareness, and support to the community.

"Artists are often stereotyped as moody, dramatic, or unstable. And while creatives do tend to be more sensitive, often battling depression, the truth is 1 in 5 adults will deal with mental illness in their lifetime. We often think of mental illness as this shameful movie-like experience in which a shadowy unkept figure emerges from a dark corner in an institution somewhere. Shattering stigmas is something that comes with the territory of directing an inclusive theatre. The mission of Alliance Theatre is to provide a platform for artists with disabilities. The subject of disability also has many stigmas surrounding it. The idea that a disability looks a certain way, or is always visible for example. The idea that disabled people can't accomplish as much or are not as smart. The topic of mental illness is yet another important subject that affects millions of Americans who do not fit the stereotypical image of a person with a mental illness " --Adrienne Shearer