The Remember Project is a community of professional theatre artists that believes in building more dementia-capable communities by using the arts.
The Remember Project delivers two-hour events (live and virtual) that include a short play performed by professional actors who bring to life real issues connected to the care, diagnosis, and experience of dementia and how relationships can be tested in unexpected ways. Following the performance, audience members take part in a facilitated conversation about the themes, metaphors, and impact of memory loss depicted in the plays.
We are proud to share a video produced by the talented Hannah Robb, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Hannah completed The Remember Project film as part of a pre-professional internship with McCarthy & Associates, Inc.
“I found Steering into the Skid to be emotionally captivating as well as, from an aging perspective, realistic and accurate.”
Dawn Simonson,
President and CEO, Trellis
First imagined and designed in 2013 by Danette McCarthy, this program creates a space for people — as a community — to learn about and process the impact of dementia. The Remember Project has already touched the lives of thousands of audience members and our goal is to visit every county (in-person or virtually) in Minnesota and Wisconsin by 2025. Expansion opportunities and conversations are taking place in other states as well.
The plays
The Remember Project presents five plays: Steering into the Skid, In the Garden, Riding the Waves, Fortune Cookies, and Mango Songs. The first three of these plays are anthologized as “The MemoryCare Plays” edited by Margaret A. Noel.
Fortune Cookies
By Bonnie Dudovitz
Mona has a great idea! This vibrant octogenarian is determined to be the first to know if her recall is slipping beyond what can be considered normal age-related memory loss. An unexpected visit from her son reveals that she has cooked up a way to help herself and others be on the lookout for the early signs of dementia.
Steering into the Skid
By Arnold Johnston and
Deborah Ann Percy
In 12 short scenes, one per month and all taking place in Tim and Amanda’s SUV, the audience comes to know this loving couple and bear witness to the early progression of dementia. As the months pass, we see the couple’s subtle changes and adjustments they are forced to deal with due to memory loss.
In the Garden
By Matthew Widman
Arthur Monsetin’s adult children have come together to decide a course of action for their beloved father who is struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Long ingrained familial tensions come to the surface as Peter, Karen and Jamie wrestle with how best to treasure their father as they also come to terms with his limitations.
Riding the Waves
By L.E. Grabowski-Cotton
As Isabel slips from past to present and back again, her son and daughter are sometimes caught in the difficult ebb and flow of dementia. The tides of change bring about challenges, but also opportunities for learning to embrace such vivid memories of the past and a better understanding of the journey.
Mango Songs
By Alia Jeraj
Alia is on a journey of discovery, of grieving, and of celebrating her father who left far too soon due to Alzheimer’s disease. From the intimacy of a singular storyteller to grasping what can be lost as families move across oceans and adopt new languages and customs, Alia asks, “How do you find a memory everyone has forgotten?”
The Remember Project creates and commissions new works to incorporate into community presentations. Playwrights with material they wish to have considered for production can send a request for information to info@rememberproject.org.
