As many of us know all too personally, Alzheimer鈥檚 isn鈥檛 funny, but a play about the dynamics around the disease can be.
This spring, Squamish鈥檚 Between Shifts Theatre Society will present The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble,聽written by Canadian playwright Beth Graham.
Graham, who was born in Nova Scotia and grew up in Alberta, is best know as being one of the writers behind the award-winning play The Drowning Girls, which toured nationally.
The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble focuses on Iris Trimble as she tries to come to grips with the realities of her mother Bernice鈥檚 Alzheimer鈥檚 diagnosis.
鈥淚 think it is timely. I think we are all aware our population is aging and people are living longer and longer and some of the things that are affected by age really come into play,鈥� said Janice Carroll, who聽is co-directing the performance with Michael K. Hewitt.
鈥淚n the past, people have stayed silent about some of these issues, especially around Alzheimer鈥檚, dementia and mental health.鈥�
As the play opens, Bernice has called a family meeting to reveal some news, but only middle-child Iris is left with the real family secret.
But the play is also about kitchen dynamics and making casseroles.
Playwright Graham does a good job of balancing the serious with the laugh-out-loud funny, said Carroll.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 watch this play and from beginning to end go, 鈥楪od, this is so daunting and horrible,鈥欌�� Carroll said. 鈥淚t has those typical family interactions, which are always funny.鈥�
The 麻豆社国产cast includes Carla Fuhre as聽Bernice; Sara Marrocco聽as Iris; Claire Lindsay聽as Sarah and Todd Weitzel as聽Peter.
The play runs April 6/7 and 11 to 14.
Tickets are already available at .
