Rahla Kahn is a visionary. With her weird name and Valentine’s Day as her birthday, she was forced to find a unique calling. Rahla began her career as an actress and original member of The Groundlings. Way back when she started to work on a solo show under the direction of Gary Austin, the Groundlings’ founder. Time and other projects intervened, and forty years later they finally completed her show. Interestingly, this was the last solo show Gary directed. After her time with The Groundings, Rahla’s intuition and instincts led her on a journey to fuse laughter and healing. A flash of insight planted the idea that improvisational theater games might be the method to do that - and with encouragement from best selling authors and her mentors, Norman Cousins (he’s the guy who laughed himself well watching comedy movies) and radiation oncologist Dr. O. Carl Simonton, she created her company, THE POWER OF PLAY. She has developed and applied her approach to clients such as The Harlem Globetrotters, American Express and IBM, as well as individuals facing a variety of personal challenges. The Power of Play is a permanent part of the Simonton Cancer Center curriculum. Rahla was so inspired by the results of the Simonton program that she became a Certified Simonton Cancer Therapist. She married Groundling, Richard Rossner in 1987. They have been improvising a life together since that time, and are partners in The Power Of Play. Rahla and Richard have one son, Chase, whom they consider their most fun and brilliant improvisation of all. As a special way to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Groundlings, Rahla and Richard have been giving a series of spoken word evenings called, LET’S STORY at The Gary Austin Theater.