There are not many of us whose lives have NOT been touched by Alzheimer’s disease. It robs people of their best memories, even of their best selves. It is pervasive, and while there are treatments, there is no cure.
As with any calamity that touches many people, Alzheimer’s disease is a natural subject for discussion and exploration on stage. And it’s treated with accuracy and empathy in Moonglow, a play by award-winning local playwright Kim Carney, whose Elizabeth the Beautiful is currently running at The Ringwald.
Moonglow is now playing at the Grosse Pointe Theatre, which is staging this intimate production in its black box theatre space, the Purdon Studio Theatre, located in the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Visitors Center at 1100 Lakeshore, Grosse Pointe Shores.
We only became aware of this production through the grapevine of Alzheimer caregivers who are urging people to see this show. Carney, whose mother died of Alzheimer’s, is painfully familiar with the disease and has created a poignant play in which we come to know the elderly patients not only as they are in the present, but as they see themselves in happier, more vital days.
The Purdon Studio Theatre has already held a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association and will do even more for the cause by building awareness and understanding regarding this disease, which currently affects 5.4 million Americans. The Grosse Pointe Theatre has even posted a downloadable study guide to help families understand not only the play, but the disease itself.
The cast of Moonglow includes Sara Shook (The Girl), Rachel Settlage (Diane), Shawn Henry (Benita), Sandra Martin (Maxine), Sal DeMercurio (Joe), Phil Potter (Greg), and Brenden Marshall (The Sailor) under the direction of Harry Burkey.
Performances run through March 4, with shows on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Call the GPT Box Office at 313-881-4004 for ticket information.
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