A Disease's Final Kiss
A Disease’s Final Kiss: The Story of ‘UnRavelled’
Art that tries to teach you things “stinks,” says playwright and actor Jake Broder.
“And yet there is a profound need for education, for awareness, for reducing stigma, for supporting the community and for medical education,” he said. A few years ago, while writing his latest play about the two individuals with frontotemporal dementia, he wrestled with how he could do both.
In the season 4 finale of the Age of Aging, we tell the story of UnRavelled, a play about perseverance through neurodegeneration, burgeoning creativity late in life and an artistic relationship across time. Producer Jake Johnson shares his first-hand experience of the play’s premiere and how it combined theater with community outreach and education.
What’s inside:
A historical perspective on composer Maurice Ravel’s brain condition and his work, “Bolero.”
An explanation from Dr. Bruce Miller on the relationship between frontotemporal degeneration and creativity.
Jake Broder’s insight into the inspiration and creation of the play as well as the associated Brain Health Festival.
The perspective of the show’s director and cast on creating the play and its core themes.
Resources available on the episode webpage linked below
Listen to Maurice Ravell’s Bolero
Learn more about Dr. Bruce Miller
Listen to Unraveling Bolero (Radiolab)
Learn more about Jake Broder
More information on For Their Thoughts Foundation
Visit the official website of UnRavelled
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