The prevalence of caregiving as a concern seems to be everywhere these days. And yet the job of providing long-term support to loved ones contending with memory loss often leads to hardship, private and professional invisibility, shaming, with a broken health care system as insufficient back-up.

Based on dozens of deeply personal interviews with local theater colleagues, elder justice advocates, and close friends whose lives have been disrupted – but then also transformed – by unexpected care taking, a circle is formed to support, learn from, confess, vent and strengthen one another.

Voices Festival Productions' new play in development exposes fault lines within families, and occasionally between experts whose advice can be the last thing a family needs to hear – or is able to pursue. Interviews lead to encounters of grace, and sometimes humor, as a work of art is fashioned from personal revelation, church basement gatherings, memory cafes, cabarets, and art room exhibition halls to unveil newly generative communities of care.

Directed by Vanessa Gilbert, Co-Written by Gilbert and VFP Artistic Producing Partners A. Lorraine Robinson and Ari Roth, the cast includes Kelly Renee Armstrong, Kim Bey, Carol Cadby, Laura Shipley Chico, Lisa Hodsoll, and Jimmy Whalen, with David Elias stage managing.

MEET THE CAST

Kelly Renee Armstrong

On October 30, 2023, we presented a first voicing of material to a limited audience on Zoom. Participating artists include Fatima Quander, Laura Shipler Chico, Carol Cadby, David Elias, Vanessa Gilbert, Lisa Hodsoll, Debbie Minter Jackson, A. Lorraine Robinson, Ari Roth, April Sizemore-Barber, and Shaq Stewart.

Monday, April 8 at 7:00 pm

At UNMC, 1810 16th Street, NW, Washington DC