School of Medicine
Biomedical Graduate Education
Biomedical Graduate Education
A microphone and binder of notes rest on the antique operating table on the Harvey Amphitheater stage
News

Heart of the Harvey Performers Explore ‘the Art of Medicine and the Medicine of Art’

Georgetown students and faculty paused amid the gathering storm of spring finals to create an emotional haven in the medical center’s W. Proctor Harvey Clinical Teaching Amphitheater. The Heart of the Harvey performing arts showcase on April 17, 2026, brought together actors, poets, musicians and dancers to reflect on “the art of medicine and the medicine of art” – the human dimension of sickness and health, trauma and treatment, death and life.

Neuroscience Ph.D. students Paul Edwards and Celine Ertekin, wearing scrubs, perform on the Harvey Amphitheater stage

Paul Edwards and Celine Ertekin, students in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN), perform in Bill Rebeck’s play “Artificial,” about the influence of AI tools on medical education and clinical care.

For co-producer Bill Rebeck, a neuroscience professor who holds a Ph.D. in toxicology and an MFA in creative writing, the event was an opportunity for university performers and audience members to connect with others and to gain a new perspective on their work and their lives.

“It is fun to perform, it is fun to hear your words on a stage, it is fun to see your colleagues, friends, and family express themselves in rich ways,” Rebeck said. “I would say that it also builds community and it reminds us of the humanity in what we do, whether it be in clinical medicine, research, or personal struggles.”

View from the top of the tiered seating in Harvey Amphitheater, looking down onto the stage and the tiered seating on the other side

Rebeck and performing arts professor Susan Lynskey created the Heart of the Harvey in 2016, with support from medical dean Stephen Ray Mitchell and inspiration from the distinctive venue that had opened the year before at the center of the Medical and Dental Building. The amphitheater is named for W. Proctor Harvey, an arts lover and founder of Georgetown’s Division of Cardiology. Harvey audiences sit in steep tiers of seats overlooking a central stage from either side, providing a clear view of medical lectures or performances.

Rebeck and April Brassard, adjunct lecturer in the performing arts department, revived the showcase this year after a several-year hiatus. Performing arts faculty and students helped to produce the show, while performers came to the spotlight from medical, biomedical and pre-med backgrounds as well as arts.

April Brassard, wearing a pink dress and her arm in a sling decorated with hearts, speaks from the Harvey Amphitheater stage

Co-producer April Brassard welcomes the audience to the Heart of the Harvey.

Susan Lynskey speaks into a microphone from behind an antique operating table, as Bill Rebeck stands to the side

Susan Lynskey and Bill Rebeck recount the history of the Heart of the Harvey showcase.

Brassard told the audience: “I’ve just found this absolutely glorious thing in this event, that we’re able to pull Bill’s neuroscience Ph.D. students, my acting students; we have people from Capitol Campus, we have grad students, we have pre-med, we have med, we have faculty, we have people from all walks of life, all just trying to find meaning in the arts – and so much love and support along the way.”

After the showcase, she added: “I would say, as a lifetime patient, the humanities are essential to processing and healing the soul through medical trials and tribulations. I was pre-med before chronic illness decimated my life, and I pivoted to the arts to seek escapism. The performing arts especially can be a buffer, a tool to process, a saving grace, a source for catharsis, and a collaborative, community experience. For those practicing and studying medicine, I believe the humanities encourage empathy and human connection, in a world of clinical sterility and isolation.”

Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE) student performers came from the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN) and the Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences (IMHS) master’s program.

Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences master's student Shannon Miranda holds a microphone and paper while reciting "The Knowledge You Left Behind" on the Harvey Amphitheater stage

Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences student Shannon Miranda performs her original prose piece “The Knowledge You Left Behind.”

“Performing in the showcase was meaningful because it allowed me to bring my writing off the page and share it in a more vivid, expressive way,” said IMHS student Shannon Miranda, who read her prose piece “The Knowledge You Left Behind.”

“I really enjoyed the experience, and it has inspired me to keep sharing my stories.”

Heart of the Harvey 2026 in Photos

Slide 1 of 26

People standing in tiered auditorium seating speak, as actors on the stage in the foreground put on their costumes
Performers and crew prepare for the Heart of the Harvey showcase.
Ena Sullivan reads from her script on the Harvey Amphitheater stage
Ena Sullivan, a student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN), plays the role of Alexa in “Artificial.”
Derek Goldman, performing arts professor, gesticulates while reading
Performing arts professor Derek Goldman reads from “The Fever” by Wallace Shawn.
Neuroscience Ph.D. student Zachary Colon stands at the microphone on the Harvey Amphitheater stage as he recites his poem
IPN student Zachary Colon recites his poem “Imposter Syndrome.”
Jay Hammond, performing arts professor, sits with his guitar while singing and playing his song
Performing arts professor Jay Hammond performs his song “Fallen Bird.”
Undergraduate student Raquel Silva dances on the Harvey Amphitheater stage
Raquel Silva (C’28) performs “Manuela,” a dance she choreographed to represent her mother’s journey with breast cancer.
Undergraduate student Raquel Silva holds her hand over her heart while smiling at her mother from the Harvey Amphitheater stage
Raquel Silva (C’28) smiles at her mother after finishing her dance.
Undergraduate student Ben Notaris holds a microphone and script while performingUndergraduate student Raquel Silva dances on the Harvey Amphitheater stage
Ben Notaris (C’29) performs “Attachment.”
Master's student Alba Jeronimo holds a microphone and folder while reciting her poem
Learning, Design, and Technology student Alba Jeronimo reads her poem “Psalm: Return to the Light.”
Undergraduate student Sofi Fateh, wearing a camouflage jacket, reads her lines by flashlight on the darkened Harvey Amphitheater stage
A flashlight is Sofi Fateh’s (C’27) only illumination in “Zebra,” written by April Brassard.
Sofi Fateh, wearing a hospital gown, sits on the exam table listening to John E. Loughlin-Presnal while acting in April Brassard's
John E. Loughlin-Presnal, associate director for psychology training, and Sofi Fateh (C’27) in “Zebra.”
David Marsden sits in a chair on the Harvey Amphitheater stage while acting in
David Marsden performs in “The Luckiest Unlucky Couple,” written by his late wife, Alicia C. Shepard, a journalist and Georgetown faculty member.
The audience applauds for oncologist Dr. Michael B. Atkins, seated in the front row, at the end of
Marsden thanks his oncologist, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Deputy Director Michael Atkins, seated in the front row.
A laptop plays Stella SeoHyeon Lee's choreographed ice skating routine
“Memoriam on Ice,” a skating performance choreographed by Stella SeoHyeon Lee (C’21, M’27), is dedicated to those killed in the January 29, 2025, midair collision over the Potomac River. Many of the passengers on American Airlines Flight 5342 were members of the figure skating community.
Medical student Stella SeoHyeon Lee stands amid the seating tiers in Harvey Amphitheater, holding up a laptop playing her choreographed ice skating routine
Stella SeoHyeon Lee (C’21, M’27) holds up a laptop playing her choreographed skating routine “Memoriam on Ice.”
Undergraduate students Ben Notaris and Catherine Hughes embrace while acting in
Ben Notaris (C’29) and Catherine Hughes (C’26) embrace in “Raincoat,” a story of connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, written by Lex Allenbaugh, live sound technician in Georgetown’s performing arts department.
Alexandros Georgussis, wearing a hospital robe, sits on the exam table on the Harvey Amphitheater stage in front of Catherine Hughes, wearing a MedStar shirt, while acting in
Alexandros Georgussis (C’27) speaks with Catherine Hughes (C’26) about an organ donor in “Within and Without,” written by Giacinta.
Ariadna (Arina) Maksin, undergraduate student, holds a microphone and paper while reading her poem
Ariadna (Arina) Maksin (C’29) recites her poem “Alert and Oriented Times Four.”
Audience members sit in the tiered seats of Harvey Amphitheater under pink stage lighting
Attendees watch the performance.
Undergraduate students Julia Small and Alexandros Georgussis sit on a bench while acting in
Julia Small (C’27) and Alexandros Georgussis (C’27) play fated lovers in “Do I Know You?” written by adjunct lecturer Michael E. Long.
Undergraduate student Julia Small holds her hand near a flowing hourglass while acting in
Julia Small (C’27) in “Do I Know You?”
Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences master's student Kevin Williams holds a microphone and folder while reciting
Kevin Williams, an Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences student, reads “Faith,” a reflection on “spiritual warfare” to overcome self-doubt and fear.
Ana Konakanchi holds a microphone and sings while Ariadna Maksin plays piano on the Harvey Amphitheater stage
Ana Konakanchi (H’28), standing, and Ariadna (Arina) Maksin (C’29) perform a song written by (No) Pressure, Georgetown’s Asian American theater troupe.
Student performers line up for a bow on the Harvey Amphitheater stage
Performers take a bow at the end of the showcase.
Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences students Kevin Williams and Shannon Miranda pose together in the hallway outside of Harvey Amphitheater
Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences students Kevin Williams and Shannon Miranda pose together after the showcase.
From left: Susan Lynskey, Heart of the Harvey co-founder; neuroscience professor Bill Rebeck, co-founder and co-producer; and performing arts faculty April Brassard, co-producer, stand in front of a painting of former medical dean Stephen Ray Mitchell.
From left: Susan Lynskey, Heart of the Harvey co-founder; neuroscience professor Bill Rebeck, co-founder and co-producer; and performing arts faculty member April Brassard, co-producer, stand in front of a painting of former medical dean Stephen Ray Mitchell, who supported the creation of the showcase.

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Tagged
Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience
M.S. in Integrative Medicine & Health Sciences
Neuroscience