Arts

‘The Mushroom Cure’ comes to Next Stage

A one-man show recounts performer’s attempt to cure OCD with psychedelics

PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts Project presents “The Mushroom Cure,” with Adam Strauss, at Next Stage on Friday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.

According to a news release, “The Mushroom Cure” tells the true story of how Strauss, inspired by a scientific study showing that hallucinogenic mushrooms may cure obsessive-compulsive disorder, embarked on a program of vigilante psychopharmacology in an attempt to treat his debilitating OCD with psychedelics.

The show, starring Strauss and directed by Jonathan Libman, first ran in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, garnering widespread acclaim before being workshopped in the New York Fringe Festival, where The New York Times said it “mines a great deal of laughter from disabling pain.”

The piece also won the Fringe's Overall Excellence Award for Solo Performance. The Mushroom Cure also has been presented at New York's Cherry Lane Theater and the Broadway Comedy Club.

Strauss is a writer and performer based in New York City. He won the Leffe Craft Your Character Storytelling Competition and is currently penning a memoir based on “The Mushroom Cure.” He's also a professional stand-up comedian. He received his B.A. in psychology from Brown University.

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