Why is this story so important to tell right now?
Just a quick glance at the statistics tells you that we are reaching epidemic proportions with the number of people living with various forms of dementia and what is often overlooked is the effect on family members. They become de facto caregivers, often full-time and unpaid, putting their own lives on hold to care for a loved one. Telling their stories in the theatre can have a profound effect on our understanding of this terrible disease.
What are you most excited about for this upcoming production?
I am excited because it is a brilliant play, full of love and pain and joy. And it tells this story in a way only live theater can do.
Why is live theater a great vehicle to explore challenging issues?
Live theater is a kind of contract entered into by the audience and the play itself. It gives us a collective experience. We can share the story in a personal and very human way. Sitting together in the dark, watching the events unfold before us…there’s something magical about that.
What do you want audiences to walk away with after seeing this production?
If the audience leaves the theater knowing something they didn’t before, and have been touched and moved by what they have just witnessed…well, that’s all we can ask for.
Performances of The Father begin Feb 5. Tickets are on sale now.
Photo Credit: Paisley Smith