“A window into his soul.”
On this episode, Andrew sits down with Laura Ornest, Co-Producer of Mapping of the Mind, to discuss her late brother Maury Ornest. His story is one of several featured in our latest Salon which has been received with such incredible support as we shed light on humorous, heartfelt and hopeful stories from those touched by mental illness.
Maury was a promising young baseball talent in the 80’s, drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, and working his way through the minor leagues until injuries got in the way. Suddenly, his life took a sharp turn when he was struck by severe mental illness. At one point on his journey, a doctor suggested painting as part of his treatment and he fell in love with art, colors, even snails, and sharing his feelings on a canvas. When Maury passed away at 58 from heart disease, his family discovered an unknown storage unit filled with 1400 paintings and countless journal entries detailing his experiences in art and life.
Also in this episode, you will hear excerpts from the performance including some of Maury’s writings and as an added piece, a piece written by multi-talented artist Julie Chafets Grass, who also has artwork featured in our art show!
CLICK HERE for info on viewing our art on display at The Braid
PIECES FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:
MO’s Journal #2 and #3*
Written by Maury Ornest. Adapted by Ronda Spinak from journals. Performed by Josh T. Ryan.
*Music: “Maury’s Theme” by Mike Himelstein & Michael Turner.
The Queen of MORE
Written by Julie Chafets Grass [adapted from The Queen of MORE, Poems by her Sidekick, ©2018 Julie Chafets Grass. All rights reserved.] Performed by Nadège August.
CLICK HERE to purchase Julie’s book on Amazon
Interested in booking a performance of Mapping in the Mind in your community? CLICK HERE to email Andrew
*Mapping of the Mind is underwritten in loving memory of Jack Spinak by his beloved brother Sydney Spinak and his niece Ronda*
MAPPING OF THE MIND CREDITS
Material Adapted, Curated and Produced by Ronda Spinak
Directed by Susan Morgenstern
Co-Produced by Laura Ornest
Dramaturg Lisa Rosenbaum
Literary Manager Suzanna Kaplan
South Bay Producer Liz Altman
San Francisco Bay Area Producer Carol Kirsh
Assistant Director Aysha Wax
JWT Assistant Artistic Director Andrew Fromer
Associate Producers Rose Ziff, Susie Yuré
Artistic Associate Daphna Shull
Stage Manager Amanda Horowitz
Performed by Nadége August*, Nicole Lipp, Josh T. Ryan and Kate Zentall*
*Actor is an Abby Freeman Artist in Residence at JWT
