APHASIA to Bring Marc J. Straus's Play in Verse to Chain Theatre

For three performances only, Studio Theatre in Exile will present acclaimed poet, playwright, physician, and art collector Marc J. Straus, who will bring his deeply personal play in verse, APHASIA, to New York City from October 9 through October 11, 2026. As part of the Factory Series at the Chain Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 3rd floor. 

Written and performed by Straus, APHASIA is directed by Mara Mills, with stage production by Jeremy Gratt. The play was inspired by Straus' mother, Dora, and the devastating stroke that left her unable to communicate with those around her.

Dora Straus awakens in an emergency room after suffering a massive stroke that has caused paralysis on her right side and aphasia. Although she understands everything happening around her, she cannot make herself understood.

A formidable, brilliant, and fiercely competitive woman, Dora graduated from college as valedictorian at the age of 76. Now soundless and entirely dependent upon others, she is forced to confront her life, her relationships, and her own mortality. Through a series of intimate soliloquies, Dora takes full stock of a life that was complicated, demanding, and richly lived.

At times sad, funny, and angry—but always unflinchingly honest—APHASIA gives voice to a woman who has lost the ability to speak.

Straus himself assumes the role of Dora, channeling his mother's story through a series of poignant and lyrical reflections. In performing the role, he speaks both for her and to her, creating an intimate portrait of a mother as remembered by her eldest son.

“APHASIA is my way of honoring my mother by giving voice to the thoughts and feelings she could no longer express after her stroke,” said Straus. “Dora was brilliant, formidable, and unforgettable, but she could also be deeply difficult. Writing and performing this play has allowed me to confront those memories honestly while preserving the full complexity of who my mother was. It is an act of remembrance, reckoning and, ultimately, compassion.”

Straus has received numerous honors, including the Robert Penn Warren Annual Award Lecture in the Humanities from Yale University and a residency at Yaddo. He is a former Chairman of Oncology and Professor of Medicine.

In 2011, he opened Marc Straus, a contemporary art gallery in New York City. He and his wife, Livia, are noted art collectors and founded Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill, New York, in 2001.

APHASIA is Straus' second play. His first play, NOT GOD, has been performed in theatres across the United States, including Off-Broadway.

MARA MILLS is an Artistic Director and Stage Director who, along with Jeremy Gratt, created The Herbert Mark Newman Theater and the Studio Theater in Exile housed in the Hudson Valley MOCA. With over 45 years of experience in producing, directing, and touring throughout the Metro area, her work focuses on dramaturging and directing original pieces, particularly those about women.1

Her collaboration with Marc Straus includes directing his plays Not God and APHASIA. Additionally, Mills has taken a Holocaust-themed production about Jewish Resistance Fighters to Budapest. Her contributions to theater have been recognized with several honors, including the East Coast Theater Conference Service to Theater award, the Cab Calloway award for excellence in creating theater, a 2026 award from Peekskill Pride for her STIE collaboration, and a 2026 commendation from the City of Peekskill 

APHASIA

A Play in Verse

Written and Performed by Marc J. Straus
Directed by Mara Mills
Friday, October 9 at 7 PM; Saturday, October 10 at 7 pm and Sunday, October 11 at 3 pm  

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