By Pamela Wong
One morning, Arianne Matte’s grandmother woke up and couldn’t recognize her or any other family members.
“She was very confused and upset. But the next morning, she knew our names and where she was. That was even more surprising than the previous day,” says Matte, playwright and co-founder of Production Nemesis.
Matte wrote a poem about this incident from her grandmother’s point of view, capturing how she must have felt in her confusion.
Now, that poem has evolved into a one-woman play called Slipping Mind, that will be performed at the National Arts Centre this month.
“I wanted to tell the story of my grandmother in the last years of her life, and I chose theatre to do so,” says Matte.
Slipping Mind tells the story of Yona, the grandmother, as she struggles with Alzheimer’s and how it affects those around her.
“It’s not only my story, it’s my mother’s, my father’s, my relatives’…all these people will be in that room (at the NAC) and see themselves on stage.”
The story is narrated by the granddaughter Laurine, whose character is based on Matte herself.
In addition to these two roles, actress Marie Ouellette will also play the characters of Jean, the mother, and Alundel, the grandmother’s caregiver.
Other characters are referred to but do not appear on stage. Matte says not only does the one actress represent the four main characters, but “she also embodies the whole family…their whole existence, because Alzheimer’s is something the whole family goes through.”
One of the main goals of the play is to raise awareness of the illness among the audience, says Matte.
Production Nemesis is working in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society of Ottawa in the promotion of this play.
“We’ve asked them to be there and bring information so that if people have questions about Alzheimer’s after the play, they can get answers.”
The Alzheimer’s Society will also be receiving part of the proceeds from the show.
Director Patsy Royer is working hard with Ouellette to prepare her for the challenging role.
Ouellette’s challenge is to make clear transitions from one character to the next. “There are no lighting cues or curtain cues that tells you there’s been a sudden change, so she has to do it all with her body and voice,” says Royer. “It’s bare-bones theatre. There are very few props and no costuming.”
Despite the challenges, Ouellette remains confident and is excited.
“I wanted to be a part of this play knowing it was a one-woman show and that it was based on real experiences. It’s wonderful that it’s so much about the characters,” says Ouelette.
To give life to the characters, she has also been working with Royer on mastering little quirks and movements of each one.
Many people can identify with this play and experience the emotions of the characters as it happens on stage, says Matte.
“Even if you don’t know anyone with Alzheimer’s, you’ve likely known someone who was sick and watched them degenerate.”
Slipping Mind is playing at the National Arts Centre, January 30 and 31.