UnRavelled,
an award-winning play offering a unique perspective on the
extraordinary power of the human mind in the face of neurological
disease by noted playwright Jake Broder (Louis & Keely Live at
the Sahara, Our American Hamlet), continues its national tour at
the Miller Theatre at Columbia
University, surrounded
by UnRavelled
Outreach, a fascinating
and enlightening brain health festival offering a deeper dive into
the play’s theme. The brain health festival, led by
Outreach Director Samantha Rose Williams, offers
workshops and outreach opportunities that accompany the play’s
performances, including pre- and post-performance activities,
informative talks, art therapy workshops, and interactive displays
for audience members to further engage with the play’s discussions
around dementia–inspiring creativity and hope.

UnRavelled
Outreach is a mission-driven, evidence-based,
advocacy-minded “festival” of arts programming that runs
concurrently with the award-winning play UnRavelled to
transform the conversation around dementia, using the intersection of
art and brain health to spread a message of hope, possibility, and
creativity in the FTD ecosystem and beyond. Thanks to the support of
sponsors, all programming is FREE.
“This
story defies the typical ‘diagnosis-to-death’ dementia narrative,
focusing instead on creativity and hope.” —
Jake Broder, Creator

“Festival”
of Brain Health to Raise Awareness of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD),
To Run Concurrently with Performances of UnRavelled, Play about the
Astounding True Story of Canadian Painter/Biologist Dr. Anne Adams
and French Composer Maurice Ravel, Inexorably Linked by (FTD) 100
Years Apart

Festival
Includes
Touring
Art Exhibition of Dr. Adams’ Paintings
Array
of Pre- and Post-Performance Displays, Experiential Exhibits and Talk
Backs
And
Art Therapy Workshops

Engagement
activities around the performances convene community members and
experts around this vital topic

UnRavelled is
more than a stage production—it’s a national initiative combining
live performance, scientific outreach, and transformative art. The
play centers on the stirring true story about the remarkable
connection between the work of Canadian painter and eminent
biologist Dr. Anne Adams (1940–2007) and French
composerMaurice Ravel (1875–1937), both of whom lived
with the same rare brain disease, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD),
almost 100 years apart. “An exquisite example of epic
theatre” (Colorado Boulevard), UnRavelled sheds
a new, empathetic light on dementia. The outreach initiatives aim to
change the conversation around dementia, foster community support,
and inspire action through the power of neuroscience and creativity.
Among
the festival highlights, the art exhibition of Dr. Adams’
extraordinary paintings will be mounted at Mt. Sinai.
Viewers can study 10 of her paintings exploring the evolution of Dr.
Adams’ artwork, from her preclinical phase through her progressive
dementia. The exhibit illustrates that as certain areas of Dr. Adams’
brain stopped working, other regions stepped in, generating a
previously hidden painting talent that enabled her to communicate
through her art, even as her ability to speak deteriorated.

Tickets
and Information:
Tickets
are $20 for balcony seats, $35 for side orchestra seats, and $45 for
center orchestra seats. Discounts are available for Students (ID
required), Columbia staff and faculty, and seniors. For more
information about UnRavelled,
visit https://www.unravelledplay.com/.