Heather Carver, a cancer survivor and the associate professor of Playwriting and Performance Studies at the University of Missouri, will perform her self-written comedy titled “Booby Prize: A Comedy about Breast Cancer.” (Submitted Photo)

A breast cancer survivor is set to perform a self-written comedy that highlights her battle in “Booby Prize: A Comedy about Breast Cancer.”

Heather Carver, the associate professor of Playwriting and Performance Studies at the University of Missouri, will perform her one-women show Wednesday in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre.

Carver is bringing her show to Eastern to share her experience with breast cancer.

Carver is also a co-founder and the artistic director of a troupe dedicated to performing personal narratives regarding domestic violence, called Troubling Violence Performance Project and is the author of two books.

The show is written and performed by Carver and explores her own journey through battling breast cancer.

Lania Knight, an assistant professor of English, said Carver gives a “dynamic, incredible” performance.

Knight said the show is very interactive, has a lot of audience participation and covers a traditionally sad topic in a funny way.

“She is able, through her performance, to get the crowd to laugh,” Knight said, even saying at one point Carver comes on stage dressed as a clown.

Knight said Carver covers powerful and intimate moments in her show, such as her reaction when she got her breast cancer diagnosis.

Carver will also talk about topics such as going out in public while dealing with the negative side effects of cancer treatment.

Knight said she believes that Carver’s performance, makes cancer less scary, because the audience sees a survivor cope with the topic in such a funny way.

Knight said she booked the show based off of her own positive personal experience with Carver.

“She was one of my professors at University of Missouri,” Knight said.

Knight who had studied theater with Carver, got the inspiration for her playwriting class from a class she took with Carver.

“She has a huge personality, very full of life,” Knight said.

Knight said she felt inviting Carver to perform at Eastern, as well as presenting a playwriting workshop, would inspire her own students.

Knight said she looks forward to having Carver work with her students.

Carver will be presenting a workshop titled “The Solo Performance” at 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in Dounda’s Movement

Studio. It is free and open to the public.

“Booby Prize: A Comedy about Breast Cancer” will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Doudna Fine Arts Center Black Box Theater and admission is free.

Kathryn Richter can be reached at 581-7942

or [email protected].