This past month, the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter partnered with The J - Detroit to help put on a performance of "HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr." The one-woman show – written and performed by Heather Massie – was set in the World War II era of film, and was interactive at times, as Hedy walked through the aisles to ask the audience questions. But what truly set this performance apart was that it was dementia friendly.
Dementia-friendly events make special accommodations to allow all to enjoy the show. For Hedy!, the staff at the Berman Center for The Performing Arts in West Bloomfield ensured the house lights were kept on during the performance so attendees could move in and out of the theater as needed and the volume was kept at a lower, more comfortable level. Massie also shortened her show to keep it engaging for the audience, down to 75 minutes rather than the usual 90. A lively Q&A session followed the show.
“It was an honor to do this dementia-friendly matinee,” Massie said. “I think the older crowd really responded to the references my character made to various actors of the time. They heard the name Clark Gable and collectively gasped, and I felt their recognition onstage. That was special.”
Longtime Michigan chapter volunteer and Chairman of
Dementia Friendly Saline+ Jim Mangi also attended the event. With his experience pioneering a dementia-friendly movie program in select Emagine Theatres throughout the Midwest, he believes strongly in the impact that a dementia-friendly approach to entertainment can have on our community.
“One time, after one of our dementia-friendly movie screenings,” Mangi said, “a couple who had attended walked up to me and said, ‘This was wonderful. My wife and I got to have a date night for the first time in seven years. We laughed, shared popcorn, we even danced together. It was incredible.’ And that’s why we do this.”
Another positive of making performances and movie screenings dementia-friendly is that minor changes – keeping sound lower and lights up – make a big difference for those living with dementia and their care partners, without hindering the viewing experience for anyone else in attendance.
"Dementia-friendly really just means friendly for everybody," Mangi said. "For people living with dementia, those small changes to the viewing experience make all the difference, and there's no big cost to theaters to make those changes. Everybody wins."
If you're a current caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's or other dementia, consider attending a dementia-friendly performance or screening. Until our next event, check out
"A Friendly Day at the Movies" at the following Emagine Theatres: Emagine Saline, Emagine Canton or Emagine Rochester Hills.