André has dementia, and his daughter, Anne, struggles to navigate the situation as his symptoms progress. In The Father, a play by Florian Zeller, presented by The Producing Unit at Center Stage Theater, the day-to-day forgetfulness of an aging man turns into confusion, frustration, and the misinterpretation of reality. For André (Tom Hinshaw), the world is ceasing to make sense. For Anne, amid the grief of losing touch with a loved one whose mind is failing, a difficult question looms: What do I do with Dad?
The role of André gives Hinshaw emotional layers and mental compartments to play hide-and-seek in depending on the state of the character’s mind. “It’s a delicate balance because André is sometimes completely confident in his view of reality, even when it’s not accurate, and other times, he’s confused and frustrated,” he says. “To be truthful to that perspective is a challenge that I relish.”
The Father gives audiences the broken-mirror view of Andre’s reality, but also the other side of the coin — the concern and angst of the family on the outside. Director Bill Egan describes The Producing Unit’s mission as exploring humanity and performance through deeply actor-driven work. “I was drawn to this material and the universal time in our lives when our parents get older and there’s a role reversal … and lifestyle changes as the child becomes the parent and vice versa. It’s such a complex and severely impactful time,” he says. “I wanted to explore those relationships.”
The Producing Unit has connected with the California Central Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and will have resources available for deeper learning as well as a guided Q&A talkback after the production on September 15. See The Father at Center Stage Theater (751 Paseo Nuevo) September 13-21 and open your mind to both a practical and an emotional education about dementia.
See centerstagetheater.org for tickets and information.
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