Adam Strauss Brings THE MUSHROOM CURE to The Marsh Berkeley

Adam Strauss's hit solo show, The Mushroom Cure, will return to The Marsh Berkeley for a limited run, performing Friday nights (April 8 - May 27). It will run in repertory with his spontaneous comedic show, Adam Strauss is Not Unhappy, performing Saturdays (April 9 - May 21). 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, 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 Michael Pollan hailed it "brilliant, hilarious, and moving."

SF Theater Blog applauded Strauss's performance, calling him "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 Curewas 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. The show then enjoyed a hit run in Chicago, where the Chicago Tribune called it "arrestingly honest and howlingly funny" and awarded the show 3.5 out of 4 stars. This run of the acclaimed solo show is sponsored by The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), the leading psychedelic research and advocacy organization.

Adam Strauss is Not Unhappy is Adam Strauss's newest project, in which the performer takes flight in a mostly unscripted evening that explores Strauss' up-to-the-minute challenges and triumphs around OCD, love, loneliness and, quite possibly, finding parking in Berkeley on a Saturday night, offered up with Strauss' expert comedic skills and singular worldview. His two previous solo works include The Mushroom Cure and The Uncertainty Principle, which were both greeted with warm audience response and critical acclaim, with media calling Strauss "Riveting" (Time Out NY), "A master storyteller" (Talkin' Broadway), and "Brilliant" (SF TheatreBlog).

Based in New York City, Adam Strauss (Playwright/Performer) has won the Leffe Craft Your Character Storytelling Competition, the New York Fringe Festival's Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance, and The Eddy Award for Best Solo Show in San Francisco. He is currently penning a memoir based on The Mushroom Cure. Strauss is also a stand-up comedian, appearing nightly at many New York comedy clubs. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Brown University.

Jonathan Libman (Director/Co-Developer of The Mushroom Cure) is a writer/director born and raised in New York. As a member of the Actor's Studio Playwrights/Directors Unit, he specializes in new work that includes directing Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale), NEA recipient David Libman, Guggenheim Fellow Christina Masciotti, and Dramatist Guild Fellow Nicole Pandolfo, among others. Libman recently won a scholarship to write and direct at Tony Spiridakis' Manhattan Film Institute and has directed for The Collective NY, Nylon Fusion, and Ripple Effect Artists. His full-length plays include Accidents Waiting to Happen (Rattlestick Theater Jam, Kitchen Dog Theater Finalist) and Please Leave the Light On (Bay Area Playwright's Semi-Finalist). Libman has also developed work with the original cast members of Broadway's hit musical Hamilton and LAByrinth Theater Company. He is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program and a union member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

The Marsh is known as "a breeding ground for new performance." It was launched in 1989 by Founder and Artistic Director Stephanie Weisman, and pre-COVID hosted 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."

Since its launch in April 2020, the theatre's digital platform MarshStream has garnered more than 100,000 viewers. Notable MarshStream moments include the debut of MarshStream International Solo Fest, The Marsh's first- ever digital festival, and the U.S. premiere of The Invisible Line, a new documentary about one of the world's most famous social experiments gone wrong. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic MarshStream has hosted over 500 LIVE streams, providing some 300 performers a platform to continue developing and producing art. The Marsh will continue to offer digital content on MarshStream, as well as in- person performances.

For information or to order tickets visit themarsh.org or call (415) 282-3055 (Monday through Friday, 1:00pm-4:00pm).

Photo Credit: David Allen

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