Valerie David's THE PINK HULK Comes to Cleveland's BorderLight Fringe Festival This July

Cleveland's BorderLight Fringe Festival is presenting Manhattan-based, three-time cancer survivor and patient advocate Valerie David's internationally acclaimed, awarding-winning comedic solo show The Pink Hulk: One Woman's Journey to Find the Superhero Within. Written and performed by Valerie, each performance will be followed by talkbacks and will include Hayley Dubin, a certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and founder of reVIVE wellness/Cancer Liberation Project Podcast; and The Gathering Place, a non-profit, community-based cancer support center that focuses on the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of individuals with cancer and their family and friends; both of which are based in Cleveland. *Funds will be raised for The Gathering Place.

Three Performances:
Friday, July 22 @ 4:00 PM
Saturday matinee, July 23 @ 3:30 PM
Saturday, July 23 @ 8:30 PM

Venue:
Old Stone Church
Memorial Hall
91 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44113

General Admission: $15

Direct link to purchase tickets:
https://www.borderlightcle.org/the-pink-hulk-one-womans-journey-to-find-the-superhero-within/

Runtime: 60 minutes with no intermission, (+20-min special talkback) (Mature content)

Now battling breast cancer after fighting off lymphoma, Valerie does something most people facing cancer in their life probably wouldn't think of doing. With a fear that she might lose "the girls", she takes them out for one last hurrah. And does Valerie succeed? Is there a "happy" ending? Come see the show to find out! This sexy, adventurous solo show follows Valerie's journey to seek her own "hulk-like" strength to find her superhero within to become a 3-time cancer survivor.

The Pink Hulk inspires through Valerie's personal story of kicking cancer to the curb, living life on her own terms, and crushing the obstacles in her path. Her show is told with heartfelt honesty and lots of humor. An empowering and true story of inspiration for anyone facing ANY adversity in their own lives-not just from cancer!

Valerie "hulked out" on cancer; after her first two bouts with cancer-Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1999 and then breast cancer in 2014/2015. Then in September 2018, Valerie was re-diagnosed with breast cancer-this time Stage IV metastatic. As of April 2019, she has beaten cancer again and has continued to beat it! There is no trace of her cancer-zero evidence of disease. Her solo play is a celebration of being comfortable in one's own skin, of embracing and accepting one's own body-no matter the shape or size. The Pink Hulk is a true testament to never give up and always have hope!

The Pink Hulk has been accepted into more than 46 theater festivals since its 2016 debut, performing domestically in 24 cities and worldwide including in England, Sweden, Iceland and Finland, garnering rave reviews and winning several awards. She won the prestigious "Act Alone Solo Show Award" at the 2021 Reykjavik Fringe Festival in Iceland, and returning this August to perform in Iceland. Valerie is also the 2022 recipient of The Colby Award for Excellence in the Arts for The Pink Hulk, which is in recognition of her career achievements. "My show is not just about fighting cancer; it has a universal message of hope and empowerment. And what makes it stand out, is its humor," Valerie said. "And after all, a cancer diagnosis means only one thing: Time to get laid!" Directed by Padraic Lillis and Maris Heller.

For more info on Valerie and her show, visit https://pinkhulkplay.com/.

Valerie David (playwright/performer) wrote The Pink Hulk as a cancer survivor to express the empowerment to find humor and superhero inner strength going through her three cancer bouts, portraying over 20 different characters onstage. The Pink Hulk has been featured on TV, radio, in publications and on podcasts, including NBC 4 New York, CBS, FOX, amNY, Heal magazine, The IndyStar, Breast Friends Cancer Support Radio Network, Mia's World, First Online With Fran, The Crisis Help Show, the Jim Masters Show! Live, Tamara L. Hunter's Service Hero Show and Reykjavik Fringe Festival podcast.

The Pink Hulk was awarded the Queen's Medal for Valour Performance Award, presented to an exceptional performer who brings bravery, grace, and humor to extraordinary circumstances in the SaraSolo Festival, the Best Survivor Award at the Pittsburgh Fringe, was an Official Selection in the DivaFest in Indy, the Fringe Crush Award in the IndyFringe, the Audience Choice Award in the Shenandoah Fringe, the WOW Award in the Gothenburg Fringe "for the show which inspired awe in audiences with its creativity, humour and content" and many more. She is currently developing her new solo show Baggage from BaghDAD about her father and his family fleeing Iraq from religious persecution during the 1941 pogrom of Baghdad, "The Farhud"-and how their survival shaped who she is today. This new solo show will be premiering in Sweden's Gothenburg Fringe this September and then will be presented in the Stockholm Fringe Festival.

Hayley Dubin (talkback guest), of Cleveland, is a certified health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and founder of reVIVE wellness. She works with cancer survivors as well as individuals with a strong family history of cancer. She teaches her clients how to create a cancer resistant body, so they feel confident in their ability to reclaim their health. As a 24-year ovarian cancer survivor, her passion is to help people overcome the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges that the cancer journey can bring. Her goal is to empower her clients to take control of their health and transform their lives. She takes a multi-faceted approach by addressing how people think and how they nourish their bodies with respect to diet, movement, relaxation and more! Hayley also hosts a podcast called, The Cancer Liberation Project. It came out of her desire to show people the incredible blessings and opportunities that can come out of the cancer experience when one takes their power back when it comes to their health. Episodes include conversations with health experts, thought leaders, authors and survivors who have made helping others their life's work. She explores up to date research, tips and tools for healing, along with stories of hope, triumph and resilience. Hayley can be reached at www.revivewellness.com

The Gathering Place (talkback guest), of Cleveland, is a non-profit, community-based cancer support center that focuses on the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of individuals with cancer and their family and friends. Programs provided free of charge. Services included Individual and group support services; children and family support programs; nutrition and exercise programs; medical librarian and resource center; art and music programs and more. The Gathering Place's services are designed to complement traditional medicine with a mind-body-spirit approach. Since its inception, The Gathering Place has helped more than 20,000 people touched by cancer with more than 115,000 visits. The Gathering Place East is located at 23300 Commerce Park in Beachwood, Ohio. The Gathering Place West is located at 800 Sharon Drive in Westlake, Ohio. Visit The Gathering Place online at www.touchedbycancer.org.

Pandemic Safety Guidelines: masks to be worn indoors.
For more information on the BorderLight Festival, visit www.borderlightcle.org.
Photo credit: Emily Hewitt Photography 

 

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