What is Whales Outside the Window and how did it come to be?
The play, Whales Outside the Window, tells the story of a popular book author named Lilly who is grappling to keep her diagnosis of early-onset dementia a secret, all while she deals with a pushy editor, a money-grabbing sister, and preparations for a young psychologist to tell her story after she can no longer tell it herself. Meanwhile, the psychologist is slowly coming to grips with losing his friend to dementia.
Who initially inspired you to grapple with dementia?
Three of my four grandparents have had/have it, and my father has been diagnosed with a minor cognitive disorder. Dementia and cognitive disease are very real parts of my family’s story and mine.
How does Whales Outside the Window fit into your larger body of work?
The play is one of the most important pieces I’ve written. It is one of three works dealing with the brevity and unpredictability of our lives–and how there is hope in small, bright places.
How has the work been received?
Whales Outside the Window has been performed in two different seasons of the same theater, Bob Jones University Performance Hall, and was well-received by a college to elderly adult audience. I had several conversations with people who related personally with the topic and who were deeply moved. Within the world of people who attend dramatic plays, it seems to communicate well the issues of those living with dementia and their families.
This work is dedicated to: My husband. If dementia is part of my health story, he will be the one to tell it.
Find more from the 2015 production of Whales Outside the Window on Facebook.
