About

Good Medicine is a show about the proliferation of the “Medicine Show” in its various permutations from the 19th century through today. Why do we look for the fast fix? The miracle cure? What is the lure of these products and (in many cases) the men who sell them — products or pathways — promising the keys to a better life? The play follows four characters: Reverend Beauford T. Jones, Dr. Chester C. Braman, Kurt Candleman, Spiritual Advisor and Master Guru, and Thomas Rickey CEO of Advance X. Each exists in and is representative of a different period in history from which they attempt to sell us their philosophy and associated products for health. The satire exposes the similarities between the characters, showing how today we fall for the same snake-oil salesman as our ancestors, with their charm and allure, pitching absurd balms and practices which claim to heal and cure.

Written and Performed by Richard Grunn

Directed by Leslie Kincaid Burby

Music by Joe Burby and Henry Burby

“It was so wonderful to witness the audience experience and reaction to this show over two nights of performances. It was an honor for DVAA to have this opportunity to present such rich material, freshly revisited, and relevant to our community. “

Ariel Shanberg

Executive Director

Delaware Valley Arts Alliance

Narrowsburg, NY

"Good Medicine is a delightful and zippy theatrical jaunt through the ages that makes clear just how prevalent (and troublesome) the snake-oil salesman persona still is in contemporary society. The fact that the performance is totally self-contained in a most ingenious way, with its own tech and music built into the staging, made it that much more satisfying for both us and our audiences."

Brad Krumholz

Co-founder and Executive Artistic Director

North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL)

Highland Lake, NY

"Rich Grunn's Good Medicine is far more than a one-person show. It is nothing less than a full-length play, in three distinct acts, that just happens to be performed by a single actor and that is enhanced by ingenuous production elements that dazzle and elevate. "

Kirby Fields

Artistic Director

UP Theater Company

NYC

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