By Aiden Wilson
Special to The Record
Researchers at Bishop’s University’s CandYLab have teamed up with the Drama department to bring viewers a heartfelt play about the struggles of caring for persons living with dementia.
Written by Marina Engelking and Merrill Swain, the play is set in a retirement home and features a story of love and perseverance on a topic that warrants a bigger spotlight.
According to Swain the idea for the play came from the desire to do something more with her research findings when she found the medical publications they ended up in didn’t allow them to be seen by the people that needed them the most.
The studies in question used language to improve the cognitive and emotional health of older adults with mild dementia, and eventually Engelking, the playwright, suggested the idea of turning it into a theatre piece to broaden the number of people who could learn from it.
The playwright said that the play has the potential to be educative but is still meant for enjoyment; the intergenerational story of the struggles with memory and language meaning to captivate the audience on a deeper level.
The pair expressed that they weren’t entirely sure in which ways the play will affect audience members, though. Their desire was to present the work as is and get the reaction of viewers without them having a bias going in, which is also why they were sheepish to provide any spoilers.
Subscribe to The Record for the full story and more.
