Sod House Theater of Minneapolis will bring their production of RARE: Stories of Dis-ease to the University of Minnesota Morris on Oct. 22. The play is being performed to help bring a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the medical, economic, psychological, and social challenges facing people with rare diseases.
The play was developed through a collaboration by The University of Minnesota’s Center for Orphan Drug Research and the Department of Theater Arts and Dance. The show creators adapted the Greek tragedy, Philoctetes, to tell the story of the challenges faced by people diagnosed with a rare disease.
Philoctetes was a warrior noted in the Iliad, who was on his way to the Trojan War when a serpent bit him. The cries of pain from his wound were so great and the smell so noxious that he was abandoned on an island by his countrymen to live his life in isolation. The theme of abandonment and isolation resonate strongly with people who have a rare disease as well as their families and loved ones.
Act 2 will be an interactive discussion of medical professionals and people who have been affected by a rare disease, giving a short presentation and answering questions from the audience.
Kevin Kling, best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and his storytelling stage shows like Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log, is the author of the play. Kling shared, “This production has truly been a passion project for all of us and has been woven from the accounts of so many courageous individuals who have lived the experience of rare disease and who have personally shared their stories with us.”
Luverne Seifert, Head of BA Theater Performance at the University of Minnesota is the director of the play, along with dramaturg and University of Minnesota theater professor, Sonja Kuftinec.
The Sod House Theater Company is a local performance group that specializes in creating professional theater experiences in close collaboration with Minnesota communities in order to illuminate timely and relevant issues and create an empowering space for public dialogue and reflection. In addition to Morris, performance locations include; U of M Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Crookston, Hastings, and Rochester, Minnesota; Prescott, Wisconsin; and Fargo, North Dakota.
The Morris performance will be held in Edson Auditorium in the Edward J. and Helen Jane Morrison Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22. Tickets for the play are free, but the number of seats are limited so you must reserve your tickets online at https://www.sodhousetheater.org/rare. All reserved tickets will be available at the will call desk. A free will offering will be available with 100% of the proceeds going to rare disease organizations.
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