UNRAVELLED to Continue National Tour at Columbia University

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.

'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.

Art Therapy Workshops

Workshops in visual art, movement, and storytelling created specifically for those living with FTD and their caregivers will be available to the FTD and larger dementia communities. These are inspired by Dr. Adam's approach to trans-modal creativity, which fosters communication without relying on language. The workshops are designed to help sustain meaningful human connection for as long as possible, supporting resilience in both patients and caregivers.

UnRavelled Fireside Chat: Unravelling the Creative Mysteries of the Brain

Tuesday, October 20 | 2:00pm-4:00pm

Queens Center for Gay Seniors

Playwright Jake Broder speaks about the story of Anne Adams and the importance of creative caregiving and brain health awareness with communities from the Queens Center for Gay Seniors, Seniors Together, and caregiver support groups.

Visual Art Workshop: Stamping a Mandala

Wednesday, October 21 | 1:00pm-2:00pm

New York Memory Center

Participants will create a personal symbol to make their own stamp, each contributing to a collaborative community mandala. Participants will leave with a new tool: the act of stamping, which invites a calming, meditative state that supports focus and presence. Facilitated by trained brain health professional Verónica Rojas.

UnRavelled Fireside Chat: The ABC of Invertebrates and Creative Caregiving

Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 10:00am-11:00am

Jamaica Older Adults Center

UnRavelled Outreach Director Samantha Rose Williams speaks about creative caregiving as it's elucidated in the story of Robert and Anne Adams. As Anne lost the ability to communicate verbally, Robert adapted and wrote poems to accompany her paintings. Participants will be given a free copy of the book ABC of Invertabrates, a book of art and poetry by Robert and Anne Adams that tells this story.

Saturday Science Visual Art Workshop: Stamping a Mandala

Saturday, October 24 | 1:00pm-4:00pm

Jerome L. Greene Science Center

UnRavelled is joining the Zuckerman Institute's monthly Saturday Science event, bringing brain health to children and families in Harlem. Participants will create a personal symbol to make their own stamp, each contributing to a collaborative community mandala. Participants will leave with a new tool: the act of stamping, which invites a calming, meditative state that supports focus and presence. Facilitated by trained brain health professional Verónica Rojas.

Pre- & Post-Show Events | October 20-24

Tabling

October 23

Mt. Sinai & The Miller Theatre

6:30pm-10pm

October 24

Mt. Sinai & The Miller Theatre

12:00pm-3:30pm

Anne Adams Art Gallery

October 21-24

Mt. Sinai

A curated gallery exhibition showcasing the work of Anne Adams, exploring how neurodegeneration and compensation resulting from dementia can lead to transmodal communication. Co-created in partnership with UCSF, the gallery was first presented in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The exhibit mirrors Bill Seeley's paper, correlating the phases of her art with phases of her FTD - leading to the realization that when certain areas of the brain stop working, other areas may step in and take over, generating previously hidden talents.

Community Events

UnRavelled's Brain Health Museum at the Columbia School of Nursing

October 22

Columbia School of Nursing

12:00pm-1:30pm

The UnRavelled's Brain Health Museum is coming to Columbia's School of Nursing! UnRavelled Playwright Jake Broder is joining Columbia staff and caregivers on a panel and the UnRavelled Interactive Lobby will be on display. The Interactive Lobby consists of self-guided displays, kiosks, and a gallery designed to deepen the play's themes and transform the conversation around dementia.

October 23-24 | Post-Show Talkbacks

Stay after the performances to dive deeper into the themes explored on stage. Talks accompany each performance, featuring medical experts and scientists as well as caregivers, advocates, and artists.

Tickets and Information: