Nancy Rappaport Brings New Show REGENERATION to United Solo Festival

Psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School associate professor Nancy Rappaport brings her new solo-show, Regeneration, to the 8th annual United Solo Festival on Theatre Row. The production is directed by Grace Kiley. After the first three performances sold-out, a fourth performance was added on Sunday, October 15 at 7:30 pm.

Regeneration is an uplifting and daring show about one woman's journey through breast cancer, illuminating the jagged edge between serenity and fear, strength and vulnerability. After a routine breast exam, Dr. Barrett is catapulted from doctor to patient, where she confronts her mortality with tenderness and humor. In an unexpected twist, she finds courage at Mount Auburn Cemetery.

Rappaport, a doctor, wife, and mother of three, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2015. After decades as a hard-charging New England professional who was used to taking care of other people, and running marathons (13 of them), the diagnoses brought her life to a stop. When she received the news, Rappaport said, "I was stopped in my tracks. I am a long-time marathon runner and I had just come back from a rigorous hiking trip with my family. I had a family history of breast cancer but it was a routine screen and I hoped for a clean bill of health. I was terrified of going from doctor to patient." Since the diagnoses and recovery, Rappaport says, "Everyday I make an investment in being present in the life I am living."

Rappaport is a published author who wrote a fearless investigative memoir about her mother's suicide, In Her Wake. She discussed what inspired her to write a solo-show and tackle the world of theatre, "To cope with being post op after my mastectomy and a sense of overwhelming loneliness, I started writing emails to close friends and family when I couldn't sleep at night. As I gained strength I started walking in Mount Auburn Cemetery with a close friend who is the art curator there. This play Regeneration started as a love letter to the "flock" that surrounded me - my girlfriends, my husband and believe it or not the Mount Auburn Cemetery which helped me heal as I came to recover my compass by understanding how I can live deeply while still appreciating how temporary our existence is."

Rappaport hopes that audiences will leave hopeful and smiling because there are moments that are funny and absurd like the time she tries to sell her husband on what great real estate is available at Mount Auburn Cemetery. She said, "I hope that the audience gets that there is strength in vulnerability and that writing our own stories allows us to move forward. Often people's biggest fear is cancer. They think of it as a death sentence. And we are all mortal. How do we live this one precious life in a way that allows us to cherish those we love while also recognizing that our lives can change in a moment?"

Performances take place at Theatre Row/Studio Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), New York, NY 10036. Subways: A/C/E to 42nd Street. Tickets are of $35.00 and are available at the Theatre Row Box Office or at http://unitedsolo.org/us/regeneration-2017 - or by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200. Running time: 55 minutes.
Show Dates:Wednesday, October 4 @ 7:30 pm (sold-out)Thursday, October 5 @ 7:30 pm (sold-out)Monday, October 9 @ 7:30 pm (sold-out)Sunday, October 15 @ 7:30 pm

More info is available at www.nancyrappaport.com and www.unitedsolo.org/us
About the United Solo Festival:United Solo, the world's largest solo theatre festival, is proud to present its 8th season at Theatre Row in the heart of New York City's theatre district. Since its inaugural year, United Solo has featured nearly 800 theatre productions from all over the world. This season, performers from six continents will present their unique works between September 14 and November 19, 2017.

Dr. Nancy Rappaport (Writer/performer) is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a child psychiatrist at the Cambridge Health Alliance. She has worked for 23 years with the Cambridge Public Schools at a school-based health center, where she develops concrete strategies for struggling students and offers professional development for teachers. Dr. Rappaport's memoir, In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explores the Mystery of Her Mother's Suicide, received the Julia Ward Howe Book Award from the Boston Authors Club. She's co-author of The Behavior Code, a guidebook for teachers who work with challenging kids.

Grace Kiley (Director) is a member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, MHC, and coaches and directs for film and stage. She teaches privately at Grace Kiley Acting in NYC, NYU Kanbar Film & TV, Trinity La Mama, and other programs including Stella Adler Studio and Stonestreet Studios. She is Artistic Director for Kiley Ensemble and directed the recent sold out show, Time Stands Still. Her award winning solo play Grace Kelly Longing for Grace (playwright and performer) directed by Austin Pendleton, has performed internationally. She specializes in developing original material with actors and writers. Grace trained with Uta Hagen at HB studio. www.gracekiley.com