Boxing and unboxing your brain, one memory at a time. Daniel Passer delves into the onset of dementia using the figure of a clown.
With music, projections, and pantomime, Passer symbolizes the disruptive changes in a person’s brain when the sense of time and space start to fade. There are repetitive behaviours, memories that come and go in a matter of seconds, and the usual risks associated with mental decline. For God’s sake, don’t forget the popcorn in the microwave!
Synapse loss leads to hoarding, sleep disturbance, and withdrawal into a world of confusion and fantasy. And yet, there is joy in that world. The forgetness of misery, the hopeful sympathy of the people around, the realization that is time to go, with flashes of childhood and loved ones. The memories are still there, just disorganized. Heading Into Night is a visit to that mysterious space, it’s a journey to the final destination, bumping into objects, humanizing the demise.
Inspired by the Hogeweyk model of dementia care villages in some countries, Passer explores the intersection between clowning and dementia. As irrational as it might sound, clowning is about repetition, a common behaviour of people living with dementia, thus the connection. But it’s also a confirmation that, sometimes, humor comes from a place of pain. Despite the challenges, Passer validates the sense of joy triggered by the cherished memories that come back in sporadic moments of lucidity. In the Hogeweyk model, the patients enjoy a more compassionate care in a community that emphasizes a more independent lifestyle, while keeping them safe in the hands of relatives and professional caregivers.
Passer and Director Beth F. Milles communicate the intricacies of a devastating medical condition with cleverness, removing the stigmatization associated with dementia and allowing the audience to see the character as a human being rather than an obstacle.
The play is abstract with little words. It’s a unique style to tell a story, relying mainly in Passer’s ability for pantomime and the emotional atmosphere provided by the music and the projections. In that sense, this production feels more like a silent film. There is poignancy in the simplicity when talent and conviction express a serious subject matter with comedy and the musicality of movement.
Heading Into Night
Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025
Performances: Oct. 5 – Nov. 17
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 16 and Nov. 6 ONLY
Fridays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 18, Oct. 25; Nov. 1, Nov. 8, Nov. 15
Saturdays at 8 p.m.: Oct. 5 (opening), Oct. 19, Oct. 26; Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16
Sundays at 2 p.m.: Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Oct. 27; Nov. 3, Nov. 10, Nov. 17
Tickets: odysseytheatre.com
Devised by Beth F. Milles and Daniel Passer. Directed by Beth F. Milles. Produced for the Odyssey by Beth Hogan. Presented by the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble. Ron Sossi, Artistic Director.
Cast: Daniel Passer, Peter Mark, and German Schauss.
Creative team: Costume designer Márion Talán de la Rosa; lighting designer Jackson Funke; projection designer Gabrieal Griego; video designer (Amazing Race segment) Wei-Fang Chang; aerial designer and rigger Bianca Sapetto; sound designer (additional sound) Christopher Moscatiello; production coordinator Jenine MacDonald; technical consultant Pierre Clavel; and graphics designer Luba Lukova. The assistant directors are Taylor Bazos and Samantha Occhino, and the stage manager is Katie Chabot.
