UNRAVELLED BRAIN HEALTH FESTIVAL To Premiere At The Wallis
Groundbreaking new festival raises awareness of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) October 17–19 in Beverly Hills before a national tour.
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The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts will host the world premiere of UnRavelled, a new multi-media play by award-winning playwright Jake Broder, as the centerpiece of the UnRavelled Brain Health Festival October 17–19, 2025.
The three-day event blends art and science to raise awareness of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the most common form of dementia in people under 60 and the condition that actor Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with.
At the heart of the festival is UnRavelled, directed by James Bonas, which dramatizes the remarkable true story of Canadian painter and scientist Dr. Anne Adams and French composer Maurice Ravel, both of whom lived with FTD and produced groundbreaking artistic works during their illnesses. The play stars Lucy Davenport, Andrew Borba, Leo Marks, Tracey A. Leigh, and Larry Poindexter, with live music performed by Rachel Iba, Michelle Elliott Rearick, Aron Kallay, Nathaniel Edison, and Randy Gloss.
Alongside the production, audiences can explore a wide range of events and exhibits, including:
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Panel discussions with leading medical experts, caregivers, and advocates from organizations such as Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, UCSF, and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
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Interactive displays simulating the experiences of those living with dementia, developed by For Their Thoughts.
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The first major exhibition of Dr. Anne Adams’ paintings, accompanied by brain scans showing the neurological changes connected to her creativity.
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The Redwood Forest, a reflective installation in The Wallis’ Sculpture Garden honoring caregivers.
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Resources provided by Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, BrightFocus Foundation, Hilarity for Charity, Lilly Pharmaceuticals, and other partners.
Every ticket to UnRavelled includes admission to the full festival experience. Additional outreach includes Cedars-Sinai Grand Rounds, art therapy workshops, and the launch of a new LA Caregiver Roadmap for FTD created in partnership with Emma Heming Willis, Cedars-Sinai, and UCSF.
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Next to Normal West Performing Arts Center (7/17-7/25) |
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After the Blast The Broadwater Second Stage (8/05-8/13) |
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E=MC² Einstein The Musical Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center (7/03-7/26) |
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Fool for Love Santa Monica Playhouse (7/23-7/26) |
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Gershwin and the Golden Age Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (10/11-10/11) |
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Doja Cat at The Kia Forum The Kia Forum (10/22-10/22) |
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C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (8/02-8/02) |
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Proof El Portal Theatre (7/23-7/26) |
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John Proctor is the Villain Mark Taper Forum (3/17-4/25) |
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Paperback Writer – The Beatles Experience James Armstrong Theatre (3/13-3/14) |