New Dates for Adam Strauss's THE MUSHROOM CURE

The Marsh San Francisco announces the return of its 2017 hit, The Mushroom Cure by Adam Strauss. Inspired by a scientific study that hallucinogenic mushrooms may cure obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Strauss embarked on a program of vigilante psychopharmacology. The true tale of Strauss' hilarious, harrowing, and heartrending attempts to treat his debilitating OCD with psychedelics 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. The Mushroom Cure will be presented March 16 - 30, 2019 with performances 8:30pm Saturdays and 5:30pm Sundays at The Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia St., San Francisco. For tickets ($20-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved), the public may visit www.themarsh.org or call The Marsh box office at 415-282-3055 (open Monday through Friday, 1pm-4pm).

The Mushroom Cure, written and performed by Adam Strauss and developed with 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 declared it "a hilarious ride through OCD" and "a fabulous, perceptive trip," while SF Theater Blog called Strauss "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, where it ran continuously for over a year before closing in January 2019. This run of the acclaimed solo show is sponsored by The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the leading psychedelic research and advocacy organization.

Based in New York City, Adam Strauss (Playwright/Performer) has won the Leffe Craft Your Character Storytelling Competition and the New York Fringe Festival's Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance. He is also a stand-up comedian who performs throughout the US and the UK. Strauss received his BA in psychology from Brown University.

Jonathan Libman (Director/Co-Developer) is currently directing and writing for Amy Schumer's ensemble company, The Collective. As a member of The Actors Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit, Libman is directing Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale) in Palminteri's new play, The Bench, and National Endowment for the Arts recipient David Libman's play The Townhouse, featuring Joey Collins. He recently worked with Christina Masciotti (2016 Guggenheim Fellow) on her play Raw Bacon From Poland, featuring Sean Carvajal (2018 Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards for Best Actor). Jonathan won a scholarship to write and direct at Tony Spiridakis' Manhattan Film institute, and has just finished writing two original television pilots, The Little People and Accidents Waiting to Happen. Later this year, Libman will be directing new work by Nicole Pandolfo (2017 Dramatist Guild Fellow), Sam Kahn (Chatter), Eli Walker (Drunk Yoga), and Daniel Mitura (The Picture of Dorian Gray). Libman is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program.

The Marsh is known as "a breeding ground for new performance." It was launched in 1989 by Founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman, and now annually hosts more than 600 performances of 175 shows across the company's two venues in San Francisco and Berkeley. A leading outlet for solo performers, The Marsh's specialty has been hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as "solo performances that celebrate the power of storytelling at its simplest and purest." The East Bay Times named The Marsh one of Bay Area's best intimate theaters, calling it "one of the most thriving solo theaters in the nation. The live theatrical energy is simply irresistible."

Photo credit: David Allen

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