Nancy Jones always wanted to write a play. But the Cincinnati born and bred English teacher and communications professional never thought that living with multiple sclerosis for 20 years, and working her way through a closet full of shoes, would give her the opportunity to do just that.
Jones’ one-woman performance art production,
Above the 37th Parallel, tells a story filled with hard truths and laughter, frustration and courage. And shoes. The kind she once coveted, then, frustrated by the limitations of the disease, had to throw away. The title of the play refers to our region’s place on the globe, and Jones’ research showing that MS more often plagues those living north of the 37th parallel.
For the performance, Jones teamed with
Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati and
Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival’s Sherman Fracher, who stars in the one-woman piece. Fracher’s husband Drew directs the show, which mixes education, entertainment, humor and heartache, giving audiences a glimpse into an unfamiliar, yet not uncommon, world.
Proceeds from this month’s performances benefit the
Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the
University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute, where doctors provide the latest treatments and therapies, and conduct research to find more answers, and someday a cure, for people living with the disease.
“MS is a complex disease that is often difficult to diagnose,” says Dr. Brendan Kelley, MS specialist and director of the Memory Disorders Center at UC. “The Waddell Center makes an important contribution to the study of the disease by, among other things, cultivating a better understanding of MS and its many symptoms, leading to timelier diagnosis and better treatment options for patients.”
Founded in 2002 through a $5 million gift from retired US Bank chairman Oliver Waddell as a tribute to his wife Virgilee, the Waddell Center serves as the preeminent referral center for the region. “The Waddell Center is a place where people coping with MS can turn for care and treatment – and a place where important research is conducted to advance the field,” Kelley says.
Funded partly through donations from the community, the Waddell Center acts an important research and treatment hub. Currently there are six clinical trials underway at the Waddell Center. According to the Center for Disease Control,
MS affects more than 1 million people worldwide.
This month, Jones’ one-woman play takes shape on stage at UC’s College of Medicine, on Sept. 17-18 at the Krege Theatre in the Medical Arts Building in Clifton. All proceeds benefit research conducted at the Waddell Center for MS. The performances are dedicated to the memory of Virgilee Waddell.
Do Good:
• Attend a performance of Above the 37th Parallel, Sept. 17-18. Call 513-558-6112 for tickets or
order them online.
• Donate to the
Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis.
• Learn how you can
help someone living with MS.
By Deidra Necco Wiley
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.