“A Cup of Tea, Mrs. Jones”—a locally-written play that deals with dementia and how it affects families—had its second showing in seven months here last Wednesday to another sold-out crowd at the Townshend Theatre.
“The response has been so tremendous, it’s just overwhelming,” said Sandy Skirten, district co-ordinator for District Mental Health Services for Older Adults, which presented the play along with the Dementia Network.
“A Cup of Tea, Mrs. Jones” examines the relationship between Mrs. Jones (Wendy Judson, who also wrote the play) and her daughter Mrs. Smith (Cathy Richards)—and how that relationship changes over the years as Mrs. Jones’ dementia becomes more and more acute.
The play opens with Mrs. Jones nearly burning the house down in the middle of the night with an electric kettle while trying to make a cup of tea.
Her daughter begins talking about how her mother’s condition has worsened in recent years and the next four scenes are flashbacks—showing the slow progression of Mrs. Jones’ dementia.
The final scene shows Mrs. Smith sharing a touching moment with her mother in a long-term care facility.
Judson and Richards were hailed with thundering applause and a standing ovation after the final scene.
DMHSOA commissioned Judson to write the play back in March, and the first performance was staged in April in Dryden with an audience of health care workers.
Some of them offered suggestions to Judson, who used to be a nurse herself, and the first performance in Fort Frances was to a sold-out crowd at La Place Rendez-Vous.
“It was really nice. It was more of a social afternoon. [People] felt comfortable asking questions,” said Judson.
Which, she added, is an important part of the purpose of the play. “We really need to be aware that there are strategies to help people,” she stressed.
Since then, Judson and Richards have performed the play across the region, including in Kenora, Red Lake, and Sioux Lookout.
“It’s been very gratifying,” Judson said of the audiences’ reactions to it.
She and Richards are scheduled to perform the play in Thunder Bay next week. And the pair also are working on a film version, which they hope to complete by the spring.
DMHSOA has been taking advantage of the many performances to get the word out about the services they offer across the district. “It’s an opportunity for us to educate people and inform them of local services,” said Skirten.
Gerry Yerxa, a geriatric mental health therapist at DMHSOA, introduced the play last Wednesday and told the audience about the various services the program offers—both to seniors suffering from mental illness and their caregivers.
Audience members received a DMHSOA pamphlet with their program, as well as a comment card asking for feedback on the play and whether it helped them understand what people suffering from dementia and their caregivers go through.
After the performance, the audience was invited to visit information booths set up in the adjoining high school cafeteria from various local organizations, including the Valley Diabetes Education Centre, Northwestern Health Unit, day hospital, and Canadian Hearing Society.
The Canadian Study on Health and Aging states that one in 13 Canadians over the age of 65 suffers from dementia.
Fort Frances Times
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