Anyone over the age of sixty is sure to agree that aging is not for sissies. As the years pass, we discover that our dexterity is escaping, our independence is being questioned, our abilities are waning and life is like a final exam where you no longer know all the answers, if you ever did. As you climb into the seventies and eighties and beyond, if you are lucky enough to get there, daily challenges meet us at every turn and body parts start to betray us. Medications are all too frequent and you find yourself planning trips around the number of stairs you must climb and where the benches and bathrooms are located. What you eat may be troublesome and staying home and not venturing out into the world may be the easiest course of inaction. Are you depressed and unhappy yet? It’s easy to color the grey out of your hair but that does not solve the numerous problems of growing old.
For a unique and innovative solution to the aging game, hobble over to TheaterWorks Hartford before Sunday, July 6 for an intriguing look at the future of health care in Jose Rivera’s “Your Name Means Dream” that he has written and directed. It is thought provoking and a little disconcerting, especially if your age is pushing the edges of the elderly envelope.
Come meet Anne O’Sullivan’s Aislin, a feisty senior citizen whose Irish name means dream, who lives alone in a New York apartment, loves her possessions and in fiercely independent. She has already fired five female aides in the last year and is none too pleased with the latest arrival, an almost human robot named Stacy, quite capable in the guise of Sara Koviak, who only wants to help. The two get along like angry cats, with an astounding vocabulary of curse words that would make long showman proud.
.Stacy is a gift from Aislin’s son, one she rejects out of hand, and stirs up the poor relationship they endure together. It also reminds Aislin of her deceased husband and their unusual marriage and its problems over the years. While Stacy tries to help her bring peace into her memories, the two fight rather than form a friendship. This is AI at work, an echo of a humanity of the future, where Stacy knows that if she fails in her care of Aislin she will be destroyed. To Aislin, Stacy is like a toaster, someone who tells jokes and dances, makes healthy foods, encourages her to exercise and wants to transform her into a loving companion, even if she can’t make toast. Will the two ever establish a peace and build a history together? Will Stacy be able to sustain her goals of improving Aislin’s life? Is this an experiment destined to fail or succeed?
For tickets ($43-78), call TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at www.twhartford.org. Performances are Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. with talkback and pizza, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. (July 5 4 p.m.), and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
It’s the 2050’s. Can Aislin reconcile her past and see Stacy as the daughter and loving family member she never had? Can Stacy become a caregiver with a soul and the ability to love? Attend this thought provoking tale of the future and discover where your sympathies and empathy lie.
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