Alzheimer's Disease in Theatre

The Black Theatre Workshop tells WatchMojo about their production of 'Swan Song of Maria,' a play which explores the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

Ranee: When’s daddy coming back mommy? Joel: He’s not coming back Julie. Ranee: He’s not? Joel: No. Ranee: Why not mommy? Joel: He’s dead Julie, he died 34 years ago. Christine: By 2050, a hundred and seven million people will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Hi I’m Christine on watchmojo.com. Today we’re going to be looking at a play that brings this issue to the fore front of public consciousness. Can you tell us what the premise is of the play One Song of Maria? Carol: The play was influenced by a ballerina that I met when I decided to return to Ballet after more than a decade. in hearing stories about her life, I became really interested in writing a play that will incorporate her into it and after that I want to see a production of Swan Lake and the next I knew I had a story about an older couple the wife slowly loosing her mind to Alzheimer’s while she replays the memories that she has of her husbands obsession with this ballerina that he met. So there’s this story of the couple, there’s a story of the ballerina and there’s a story of a swan lake. All three stories are about what it takes to sustain love, what sacrifices have to be made and are they willing to make that sacrifice. Christine: What did you get out of the experience of playing a character who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s disease? Ranee: For me I’ve really realized that this disease can strike anybody at any time, it’s not just an aged disease and you know it’s something that can live within each and every one of us. When Daddy’s coming home mommy? Joel: He’s not. Ranee: When is daddy coming home mommy? Joel: Stop. Ranee: When is daddy coming home mommy? Joel: Stop. Christine: What stages of the disease is your character going through in the play? Ranee: All three stages, all three. We cover every thing and the developing stages are quite recognizable and very effective. I think the writing is fantastic, its beautiful poetry and the directing is, it just brings everything really to life. Tyrone: Carol you know builds a tragic fairy tale. So, I really sort of took that to heart and you know remember the stories you know I was told as young you know as young boy. Even though you know tragic things happening on those stories, there were also beautiful princess, there were also the hero and you know Julienne is our princess and Joe in his ways is our hero. Joel: Really all I’m doing is playing the relationship, I’m not playing anything else, I’m not playing an attitude, I’m not playing somebody who’s dealing with somebody who has a disease, I'm playing the relationship and constantly trying to reach her. Christine: What do you hope the audience will come a way with from watching this play? Tyrone: Its too cherish the here and now, cherish what you have you know hold on to those memories. Carol: It can be beauty even in pain and there’s beauty in the truth of that and it acknowledging it and just being with it. Joel: The play raises indirectly or sometimes even quite directly, some very serious issues like how do you deal with something like this? How do people deal with and what are the possible solutions? Tyrone: Even the most tragic circumstances we can still find the magic of love, the magic of, the beauty of life. Carol: I hope its cathartic, that’s what I hope.