Experts On Psychedelics Join MUSHROOM CURE Talkbacks at The Marsh Berkeley

Luminaries such as Robert Jesse, founding member of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics; author Dacher Keltner; Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate, and other unique leaders in the fields of health and psychedelics will join actor Adam Strauss following performances of The Mushroom Cure at The Marsh Berkeley for free talkbacks May 6-27 (see specific dates and speakers below) to educate audiences on different perspectives of health pertaining to micro-dosing. The Mushroom Cure is currently playing now through May 27 with performances at 7:30pm Fridays at The Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. For information or to order tickets ($20-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved), the public may visit www.themarsh.org.

The Mushroom Cure was inspired by a scientific study showing that hallucinogenic mushrooms may cure obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which launched Strauss on a program of vigilante psychopharmacology. The true tale of Strauss's hilarious, harrowing, and heartrending attempts to treat his debilitating OCD with psychedelics, developed with and directed by Jonathan Libman, was an Off-Broadway hit, where it was named Critics' Pick by Time Out New York and hailed by The New York Times as "mining a great deal of laughter from disabling pain" before moving to San Francisco for an extended run. It then moved to Chicago, where the Chicago Tribune praised it as "arrestingly honest and howlingly funny."

Free talkback engagements following performances of The Mushroom Cure include:

Friday, May 6: "Moving Towards Legal Psychedelic Medicine" with Amy Emerson, CEO of MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), a subsidiary of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Emerson is responsible for the implementation of research programs with a focus on the MDMA-assisted psychotherapy program within MAPS PBC. She brings decades of pharmaceutical development and research experience, with professional experience at Novartis, Chiron, and other pharmaceutical companies that span various fields including immunology, oncology, and vaccines.

Friday, May 13: "The Past, Present, and Future of Psychedelics" with Robert Jesse, convenor of the Council on Spiritual Practices (CSP). Through CSP, Jesse has been instrumental in creating the psilocybin research team at John Hopkins. He is also a founding member of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, and serves on the board of Usona Institute.

Friday, May 20: "Psychedelics and the Science of Happiness" with Dacher Keltner, Ph.D, who is also a faculty member of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics and the founding director of the university's Greater Good Science Center. Keltner is the best-selling author of The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence and Born to Be Good, as well as the host of the award-winning podcast The Science of Happiness. His research focuses on the biological and evolutionary origins of compassion, awe, love, beauty, and humility, as well as what the science of psychedelics can reveal about how mystical states change moral emotions and their benefits for health and well-being.

Friday, May 27: "Plant Medicine in the Digital Age" with Dr. Beatriz Caiuby Labate, whose main areas of interest include the study of plant medicines, drug policy, shamanism, ritual, and religion. She is the Executive Director of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, an organization that provides public education about psychedelic plant medicines. Labate is also Adjunct Faculty at the East-West Psychology Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, a Public Education and Culture Specialist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Group for Psychoactive Studies (NEIP) in Brazil. She is the author, co-author, and co-editor of 21 books, two special edition journals, and several peer reviewed articles.

The Mushroom Cure, written and performed by Adam Strauss and directed by Jonathan Libman, received its West Coast Premiere in April 2017 at The Marsh San Francisco to critical acclaim and resulted in an extended 11-week run. Talkin' Broadway praised The Mushroom Cure as "a miracle of a show and a must-see," and called Strauss "a one-person tour de force." Theatrius raved it is "a hilarious ride through OCD" and "a fabulous, perceptive trip." The SF Theater Blog also noted that Strauss is "one extremely talented comedian." The show first ran in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe garnering widespread acclaim. Critics called the show "hugely intelligent and incredibly engaging," (The Scotsman) "outstanding," (Edinburgh Festivals Magazine) and "a revelation" (Broadway Baby). Strauss' riotous tale appeared next in the New York International Fringe Festival, winning the Fringe's Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance. It then was given its Off-Broadway premiere at New York's Cherry Lane Theatre, where it had a sold-out, extended run. The Mushroom Cure was remounted in December 2017 at Off-Broadway's Theatre 80 St. Marks.

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