Performance Network Theatre Will Host a Benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter, Sunday, February 26, 2006
Performance Network Theatre will host a Benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter, Sunday, February 26, 2006. The event will include a conversation with representatives of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (MADRC), a catered reception, and an evening performance of MOONGLOW, by Kim Carney. Admission to the panel and reception is free, tickets for the 7:00pm performance are $24.50, with $14.50 benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association.
ANN ARBOR, MI (PRWEB) February 22, 2006
Performance Network Theatre is pleased to announce that it will host a Benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter, on Sunday, February 26, 2006. The day’s events will include a conversation with representatives of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (MADRC), a catered reception, and an evening performance of MOONGLOW by Kim Carney, the critically - acclaimed new play about one family’s struggle with the disease.
One of the artist’s crucial functions is to “create a public forum for discussion on important issues we face as a society,” according to Executive Artistic Director Carla Milarch. “We are so grateful to Kim for giving us all this opportunity to examine an issue that effects so many of us deeply – Alzheimer’s disease and the impact it has on individuals and their families.” As a reflection of our commitment to this principle, Performance Network has assembled a panel of experts, including a neurologist, a caregiver and a social worker, to address the various questions and concerns that arise in any discussion of Alzheimer’s and other dementia disorders.
The panel discussion will take place on Sunday, February 26, 2006 from 4:30pm until 5:30pm, followed by a catered reception in the main lobby of the theatre. The day’s events will culminate in a benefit performance of MOONGLOW at 7:00pm. Admission to the panel and reception is free, tickets to the performance are $24.50, with $14.50 benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, by telephone at 734-663-0681 or online at www. performancenetwork. org.
About the Play:
In this comic-drama, Kim Carney blends her trademark humor with exquisite pathos in the story of a woman moving her mother into an assisted living facility. A tough-as-nails spitfire determined not to go quietly, she causes a ruckus, finds a jitterbugging partner and teaches her daughter a valuable lesson before the play is through. Full of music, dancing and love – and based on the playwright’s own experiences – "Moonglow" will make you want to hug the ones you love just a little bit tighter.
About the Panelists:
Cassie Messmer, LBSW, is the Education and Training Coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter. She has worked with individuals with dementia and family members for ten years through various organizations, including the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Department of Neuropsychology at U of M Hospital. Cassie obtained her Masters in Social Work, with a gerontology focus, from the University of Michigan.
Charlie Duncan is an active volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Great Lakes Chapter. He was the primary caregiver for his wife, Mary Jane, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1996. He shares his experiences and memories of his wife through his short stories and poetry.
Dr. Scott Turner is Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan and Co-Director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Michigan. He is also Chief of the Neurology Service at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Dr. Turner received his Ph. D. and M. D. from Emory University in Atlanta and did his internship, residency, and fellowship training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
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