UnRavelled, Play by Jake Broder Based on Fascinating True Story about Dementia and the Power of the Human Mind, Premieres at The Wallis

UnRavelled, an award-winning play offering a unique perspective on the extraordinary power of the human mind in the face of neurological disease written by noted playwright Jake Broder (Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, Our American Hamlet) and directed by James Bonas (Metropolitan Opera, BBC Proms), receives its highly anticipated world premiere October 17-19, at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

Art, science, and love intersect in this stirring true story about the remarkable connection between the work of Canadian painter and eminent biologist Dr. Anne Adams (1940–2007) and French composer Maurice Ravel (1875–1937), both of whom lived with the same brain disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), almost 100 years apart. Adams abandons her prestigious career after becoming inexplicably consumed by a desire to paint. While her marriage begins to fracture and her life unravels, she develops an obsession with Ravel’s Boléro. At the heart of Dr. Adams transformation is a devastating diagnosis of FTD. As Adams’ cognitive decline accelerates, her art flourishes. Through her paintings, Adams’ uncovers a pattern that may offer clues to unlocking mysteries about the brain’s networks and creativity. UnRavelled asks: What does it mean to lose one’s mind yet still find ways to express one’s soul?

FTD is the most common form of dementia in people under age 60, which manifests with behavioral alterations – not memory loss or paralysis typical of other types of dementia. FTD is the same kind of dementia that afflicts actor Bruce Willis.

The cast includes Lucy Davenport (Scorsese’s Gangs of New York; Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland; Jay Roach’s Dinner for Schmucks) as Dr. Anne Adams; Andrew Borba (Straight Outta Compton, Interstellar, Live from Baghdad; The Little Foxes at Antaeus) as Robert Adams; Leo Marks (The Line; Mysterious Circumstances at the Geffen Playhouse) as Maurice Ravel; Tracey A. Leigh (Modern Family; Law & Order; national tour of The Vagina Monologues) as Russian dancer Ida Rubinstein; and Larry Poindexter (S.W.A.T.; Fatherland at Manhattan Theatre Club) as Dr. Bruce Miller.

Featured musical artists are Rachel Iba (violin), Michelle Elliott Rearick (cello), Aron Kallay (keyboards), Nathaniel Edison (winds), and Randy Gloss (percussion).

Running concurrently with the production at The Wallis is a brain health “festival,” offering a deeper dive into the play’s themes. It features an array of pre- and post-performance activities, including the first major art exhibition of Dr. Adams’ paintings, fascinating talk backs, informative lectures, art therapy workshops, and engaging interactive displays designed to transform the conversation around dementia to spread a message of hope, possibility, and creativity.

A fascinating “Brain Health Festival” running concurrently with the play offers a deeper dive into the play’s themes. It features an array of pre- and post-performance activities, including the first major art exhibition of Dr. Adams’ paintings, talk-backs, informative lectures, and engaging interactive displays designed to transform the conversation around dementia to spread a message of hope, possibility, and creativity.

UnRavelled and the Brain Health Festival are presented in partnership and with the generous support of the Dana Foundation; Global Brain Health Institute; Kristin Holloway; Lilly Pharmaceuticals; The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration; The Kissick Family Foundation; UCSF Memory and Aging Center; Kestrel Neuroscience; 3F Foundation; and Robin Donohoe. Local partners include Cedars-Sinai; For Their Thoughts Foundation; UCLA Brain Research Institute; Bright Focus; and ALZ-LA. Support is also generously provided by the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

For more information on UnRavelled, visit www.unravelledplay.com. For tickets ($32 - $77), which include the brain health festival, and ticket information, please call 310-746-4000 or visit www.thewallis.org. The Wallis is located at 9390 N Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.