Governor Pat McCrory, Diane Rehm, Loni Anderson, Debra Morgan and Darlene Shiley to Star in Raleigh Performance of Surviving Grace

Share:

Washington, DCOn September 5, 2014, a star cast will take the stage for a special ensemble reading of Act 1 of Surviving Grace, an original play by comedy writer Trish Vradenburg (“Designing Women,” “Family Ties,” “Kate and Allie”), co-founder of USAgainstAlzheimer’s, a national advocacy organization committed to stopping Alzheimer’s by 2020.  

Based on Trish’s experience as a caregiver to her mother who died of Alzheimer's in 1992, Surviving Grace is a brutally honest, irreverent and moving story – laced with humor – that sheds light on the emotional ups and downs that more than 15 million Alzheimer’s caregivers in the U.S. go through each day.  The play has also been produced off-Broadway, in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and San Diego, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The performance will take place at in the Daniels Auditorium of the North Carolina Museum of History and boasts a legendary cast including Governor Pat McCrory, Loni Anderson, Diane Rehm, Darlene Shiley, and Debra Morgan.

The evening will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by the play reading at 7:00 p.m., and dinner with the cast and major sponsors at 8:30 p.m.  To purchase tickets in advance or to learn more about sponsorship options, please visit https://www.survivinggrace.org/show/raleigh.

“I thought my mom was invincible, but she was no match for Alzheimer’s.  I watched helplessly as her mind, her dignity, and finally her body vanished into the unforgiving chasm of Alzheimer's,” said Trish Vradenburg.  “So why a serious play with a large dose of humor? Because that's how I survive life – if you don't laugh, you'll cry.  We have to bring this disease out of the shadows and into the spotlight; that is why I wrote Surviving Grace and why I'm excited to be sharing it during this special event.”

The Raleigh production is being co-presented by USAgainstAlzheimer’s and Alzheimer’s North Carolina (AlzNC).  USAgainstAlzheimer’s, based in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit organization committed to mobilizing individual, political, business and civic leaders to achieve the goal of ending Alzheimer’s by 2020.  AlzNC has been dedicated for 33 years to providing education, support and services to individuals with dementia, their families, health care professionals and the general public. Together, the two organizations are taking on Alzheimer’s in momentous ways.

“We are thrilled to be working with USAgainstAlzheimer’s and to bring this production to North Carolina.  Our hope is that Surviving Grace will focus awareness, needed services and research funding for a cause and a cure, on a local, national, and global basis,” said Alice W. Watkins, executive director of AlzNC.

Alzheimer’s is officially the sixth leading cause of death but, based on recent analysis, is actually the third leading cause of death.  The number of Americans with the disease is projected to triple by 2050 – from 5.4 million to nearly 16 million – unless we find a treatment or cure, and ten percent of victims are between the ages of 40 and 65.  It is the only disease in the top ten that currently has no cure, treatment, or prevention.  Yet it receives dramatically less industry focus and scientific attention than other, less widespread diseases.

“Through my past experiences as a caregiver for my mother, uncle and aunt with Alzheimer's, I’ve seen firsthand that Alzheimer’s is a disease that will stop at nothing to take things – moments, memories and loved ones – away,” said Darlene Shiley.  “However, Alzheimer's advocates remain driven by the knowledge that with the proper resources we can stop this disease and spare future generations from it.”

Researchers believe that it is possible to stop Alzheimer’s within the decade if the right resources are appropriately applied – just as we did for HIV/AIDS in the 1990s.  In support of this goal, proceeds from the Surviving Grace Raleigh production will benefit USAgainstAlzheimer’s and Alzheimer’s North Carolina.

WHAT:           A Celebrity Reading of Surviving Grace

WHEN:           Friday, September 5, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. reception)

WHERE:         Daniels Auditorium of the North Carolina Museum of History

To interview Trish Vradenburg or the cast members in advance of the performance, please contact Ranit Schmelzer at 202.538.1065 or [email protected].

###

USAgainstAlzheimer's is an entrepreneurial and disruptive organization demanding a solution to Alzheimer's by 2020. Driven by the suffering of millions of families USAgainstAlzheimer’s presses for greater urgency from government, industry and the scientific community in the quest for an Alzheimer's cure – accomplishing this through effective leadership, collaborative advocacy, and strategic investments. For more information, visit www.usagainstalzheimers.org