With the spotlight on the person with dementia, the audience listens to stories that express the “feeling” side of living with memory loss and confusion. The honesty of the actors invites understanding, laughter, and most importantly, conversation. The space between the stage and the audience shrinks and the applause feels like an embrace.
This is the unscripted part of the performance and sometimes goes longer than the actual performance which takes about 35-40 minutes. The performers and focus group members who have now joined them on stage have been empowered by the performance and quickly put the audience at ease to ask questions.
In past dialogue sessions spouses have shared pride in the courage displayed by their loved ones. Professionals have been brought to tears as they acknowledge their deeper understanding about what the person with dementia experiences. And peers with the same diagnosis, thank the performers for telling their stories which mirror their own in a way that makes them look intelligent.
