Taking Leave by Nagle Jackson

October 19 - November 3, 2007
Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.
One matinee, Sunday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Produced by Bill Mullins
Directed by Lorraine Magee

Click here to download Flyer.

Cast

Ken Clayton as Eliot
Ann Colly as Liz
Leta Hall as Alma
Rick Kenney as Eliot 1
Cassie Lee as Cordelia
Lori Muhlstein as Mrs. Fleming

We bring to the stage a moving play about a family struggling with a loved one's debilitating illness and how best to cope. In the middle of the night, Eliot Pryne, professor of English Literature, is packing what he thinks is a suitcase and leaving what he thinks is a hotel. Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, he is “taking leave” of the real world and imagining a new one, but the transition is painful. His alter-ego, seen only by the audience, charts this final voyage speaking as Eliot once did when he was the leading authority on Shakespeare's King Lear. The visitation of Eliot's three daughters, Alma, Liz and Cordelia, forms the central event of this oddly comic, yet fully sympathetic play.
During the rehearsal process, we were fortunate to have Dr. Jeanne Sorrell, a professor of nursing at George Mason University and Alzheimer's care specialist, come in and talk with the actors and director. Jeanne helped us understand more about the effects on not only the individual diagnosed with Alzheimer's but also the family and caregivers. We will be talking more about this experience at our post play discussion at the matinee performance.

Thank you for continuing to support VTC. We are very grateful to the town of Vienna for its many years of support and hope to see you at each of our productions this season. Enjoy the show.