Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck
The World Premiere of UnRavelled, an award-winning play, based on fascinating true story about the remarkable link between biologist/painter Dr. Anne Adams (1940–2007), and French composer Maurice Ravel 1875–1937), both of whom lived with the same brain disease (FTD), almost 100 years apart, ran for the weekend of October 17-19 at Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The playwright Jake Broder eloquently tells the story based on empathy, wonder, curiosity and, even joy about the mysteries of the brain. FTD (frontotemporal dementia) is the most common form of dementia in people under age 60, which is not about memory loss or paralysis typical of other types of dementia, but manifests with behavioral or language alterations. FTD is the same kind of dementia that actor Bruce Willis has.
Dr. Anne Adams, in her fifties, at the height of her prestigious career in science, exhibited radical personality changes, abandoning her life by a desire to paint. Starting out with simple subjects like houses and strawberries, she became suddenly, inexplicably obsessed with Maurice Ravel’s symphonic masterpiece, Boléro, and launches into a masterful painting style. Through her stunningly, wildly different paintings, Dr. Adams’ work may offer clues to unlocking mysteries about the brain’s networks and creativity. Dementia is changing things. Structure repetition patterns from mid-life crisis and time closing on her, especially when she does not understand the words and talks nonverbal conversation paints the mysteries of the brain under the condition of FTD. As Anne’s cognitive decline accelerates, her art flourishes. It’s like while one part of the brain is dying (the front), the back of the brain was developing, and working harder. Quite fascinating!
While there is change in creativity, and a brilliant scientist is not there anymore, rather – becoming somebody else; the grief, regret, and anger goes through another person who is sitting next to them, not understanding anything, and just watching them being trapped inside, going through the rabbit hole. The only way to reach sublime is looking for those ‘AHA’ moments. When they ran more tests on Dr. Adams, they came to a conclusion – Not to analyze her every move and try to find where she is, but to discover who she is, and what she is experiencing?
‘Similarly, Ravel’s most famous work, his captivating, single-movement, orchestral piece Boléro, deviated significantly from his deeply perfected musical style. He composed it as a ballet for Russian dancer Ida Rubinstein in 1928, when Ravel himself was experiencing dramatic shifts in his personality. Boléro was one of the last works Ravel completed before dementia prevented him from composing further.’ Both of them were 53 years old, although they lived about a century apart.
UnRavelled – Brain Health Institute asks: What does it mean to lose one’s mind, yet still find ways to express one’s soul? Dr. Adams’ work may offer clues to unlocking mysteries about the brain’s networks and creativity.
The playwright Jake Broder said, ‘This might sound strange, but I gave the play FTD. It started to have aphasia. The time started to bend, and the layers of reality started to bleed together. While the shape of current version of the play is similar to the streaming production, I developed a series of ‘fugue’ scenes – where two realities happen simultaneously. And because I’ve since learned even more about both the condition and FTD’s effect on caregivers and family, I have balanced out the creative journey of Ravel and Anne with the emotional journey of Anne’s husband, Robert, and the spiritual journey of Dr. Miller.’
Dr. Anne Adams (1940-2007) played by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award-nominee Lucy Davenport, French composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) played by Obie Award-winning actor Leo Marks, Ovation Award-winner Andrew Borba stars as Anne’s husband, Robert Adams, Russian dancer Ida Rubinstein is played by Obie Award and NAACP Theatre Award-winning actor Tracey A. Leigh and Ovation Award-winner Larry Poindexter is featured in the role of Dr. Bruce Miller. What can one say about pros… Every move, every word, every emotion was performed to perfection.
Featured musical artists include Rachel Iba, violin; Michelle Elliott Rearick, cello; Aron Kallay, keyboards; Nathaniel Edison, winds; and Randy Gloss, percussion. Those flawless sounds gave the story an impeccable weight of heaviness for each and every moment. Heavenly experience!
Director James Bonas did a remarkable job staging this play with the brilliant lighting, piercing music and great acting choices, incorporating live music, and features composition and sound design by composer Mark Grey (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic). An orchestra on both sides of the stage is penetrating through our physical bodies with every single note they let out. Some colorful and white garments that Anne Adams wore are stunning. A cleverly placed lamp and the table that are part of the stage and are stored under the stage for the scene change, together with the projection of giving us a visual on what is happening in her mind is well done and powerful.
In addition to Broder, Bonas, Grey, and Brittan, the creative team comprises Emma Kingsbury, set designer; Cydney Uffindell-Phillips, movement director; Masha Tsimring, lighting designer; Adam Larsen, video designer; and Molly Irelan, costume designer. The production team includes Cath Brittan, executive producer; Kerstin Heinrich, production manager; and Samantha Rose Williams, outreach director.
Presented in Partnership with The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration; The Kissick Foundation; UCSF Memory and Aging Center; Global Brain Health Institute; Lilly Pharmaceuticals; The Dana Foundation; Kristin Holloway; and San Francisco Conservatory Music, we had a viewing of Anne Adams Art Galery, interactive lobby experience, and outstanding performance.
Tickets were ($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.
For more information on UnRavelled, visit www.unravelledplay.com