Time Marches On

I just recently celebrated a birthday…not a milestone birthday, but one that is turning the corner to a milestone birthday.

It wasn’t a fancy day. In fact, as birthdays go, it was very simple. A day filled with work and meetings but lots of expressions of love from friends and family, and that in and of itself was enough. But the timing of it, in light of the beginning of rehearsals for our upcoming production of THE FATHER, left me reflecting about years gone by and years to come.

Time marches on and age is inevitable (no matter how many creams and lifts and pills we try). While I  make many jokes about getting old (my aching knees, my gray hair, wanting to go to bed by 9pm), the truth is I find myself leaning into this stage of life. 

There is a joy in life experience, a freedom in caring less of what people think, and the biggest thing I have noticed is really embracing and craving time with those I care about most. I have experienced several deep losses in the last few years which I know have contributed to this journey of processing life.

As we see the character of André in this play THE FATHER, it reminds me of my late uncle who also suffered from Alzheimer’s. He lived in Fort Worth and, for many reasons, it had been a good year and half since I had seen him and the disease had progressed significantly. He was living in a memory care facility and hardly recognized many people from his life.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but when I walked in with my aunt and family he saw me. There was instant recognition and he immediately began to cry. It was like a memory had been let loose to come to the surface. We hugged and then spent the next hour as a family touring where he lived. As we left, he hugged me again and whispered in my ear, “you were my favorite”... (sorry to my brother, ha!), but I was the only girl. 

The pandemic impacted my ability to see him in the last year of his life, but I will treasure our last moments together. I know this disease has many sides, some of them not so sweet, but I am thankful for that last glimpse of my Uncle Danny. 

It thrills me that we are able to bring a beautiful play like THE FATHER to life in our space. The intimacy, the truthfulness, the heart of the story. I know it will resonate with so many of you. I am grateful that, in a small way, I get to be part of the art of storytelling that allows us to reflect. We are all on this journey of life and discovery together. 

Theatre allows all of us, with our completely different experiences, to gather together in one space at the same time and see a glimpse of life played out in front of us. It unites us, for a moment. Whether it is a 20 year reunion, a love story told through music, a comment on our social sensitivity, or an imaginative telling of a world clouded by confusion. Theatre connects us. 

But, the truth of the matter is that we need you to help us make it happen. We need you to buy tickets and show up and we need you to spread the word to your friends, we need you to volunteer, and we need you to support us with your financial gifts as you are able. You are as much a part of this as we are.

I hope you will come see THE FATHER. I hope you will support 4th Wall so we can continue to bring you works like this. As we each journey around the sun, one year at a time, I pray for these moments of remembrance and reflection that can allow us to connect together as humans, and cherish the time we have with those we love.

Hope to see you soon!
Jennifer