It is unfortunate to face, but it is a cold fact: some of the patrons who walk in to these hospitals and seniors residences will not leave.
This past year I was given a very painful, and yet eye-opening experience. This event changed my motivation on this project from “Gee, this would be something cool to do,” to “If I don’t do this, I will regret it.” In November, I received a call from my father, telling me that my grandmother had suffered a severe heart attack. The odds of her surviving were very small. I rushed to the hospital to be with my family, and say our goodbyes.
Needless to say, I was heartbroken. My grandmother and I had been very close; a lot of the work I had done on Shakespeare, I shared with her. She was a dancer in her time. She was well ahead of her time. She did not know very much about Shakespeare, but she loved to read (she essentially got a modern university education from the amount of reading and discussion that she did), and go to the theatre, so we explored classical text together. I actually went to her Senior Residence two days prior to the event to perform for some of her friends.
When it came time to saying my goodbyes, I found myself speaking every piece of classical text that I had memorized. It felt like the best thing to do. I didn’t know if she could hear me or not- that was a large conflict for me at the time. It felt like talking to a breathing brick wall- but I wanted to feel connected to her. So, I wanted her last day to be of something that we had shared together. Above all, I wanted her to feel comfortable, and happy.
That night, my grandmother passed away, quietly. We received the call before going to bed.
Looking back, I feel absolutely blessed to have had that moment with her. The likelihood of her actually having heard or recognized me is slim to nil, but it was important that I put it out there. Conscious or not, I know she would have appreciated it. She was very fortunate to have had such a full life, and we were fortunate to have shared that with her, right up to her last hours.
Some of the hospital patients and senior residence members won’t leave the facilities. Some of them are regular theatre-goers, some of them have never seen theatre in their lives. I hope that by sharing a live event such as this, we can give those patients and patrons an experience of community and connection in a way that may either be warm and familiar, or new and exciting. Although that may not solve the issues they face, and although the issues they face may be inevitable, this can still offer a reprieve from the despair that they may feel over the situation. And when it comes to quality of life, a little joy could mean all of the difference between “I can’t do this,” and “Let’s do this.”
So, if you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it because some audiences may not get to do or see this ever again, and it will enrich their quality of life.
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