The Theatre Times: Last spring, dementia made it to Broadway! Let me be clear: I am an Avant-garde type and I am wary of Broadway. The intersection of Theater and Age is a subject of interest to me, but so far as I know, until last season, it was not of interest to Broadway. But suddenly, dementia–and not just any old dementia but the dementia of the old–emerged in this very American funhouse–that is, Broadway. What does this mean?
1 comment:
I thought this article did a good job of artistically analyzing these shows featuring characters with dementia while advocating the political reasons on why these shows attract or detract audiences. My mother works in dementia and Alzheimers care and it's always jarring to hear the difficulties families face emotionally and logistically while taking care of a fading loved one and how common the disease actually is. I think it's great that Broadway represents this struggle, but based on the closure of The Father and the case of The Humans (where the younger characters are focused on over the ill mother), audiences don't seem to be interested in this advocacy. Also, the way The Fathers was written, showing the plot as it happens and the beliefs of someone with dementia, is a great way to create awareness for members of an audience having a hard time empathizing to something they haven't experienced. Maybe Broadway isn't ready, but I think the shows mentioned are a good start.
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