Jill Daum says writing a play about a family鈥檚 struggles with Alzheimer鈥檚 helped her get out of bed some days as she fought to accept her husband鈥檚 diagnosis of the cruel disease.
Daum is married to musician John Mann, the driving force behind the Canadian band Spirit of the West, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer鈥檚 almost six years ago and now, at age 55, lives in a care home.
鈥淔orget About Tomorrow鈥� opened Jan. 25 at Victoria鈥檚 Belfry Theatre and is scheduled to run until Feb. 18. It is also scheduled to start March 1 at Vancouver鈥檚 Arts Club Theatre.
鈥淭he story is fictional but it was certainly inspired by what I learned from living with John. What I learned as a caregiver and what I鈥檝e had to watch him go through,鈥� said Daum in an interview hours before the opening night performance.
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She said Alzheimer鈥檚 takes its toll on more than just the individual with the disease. It ransacks families and the play explores the decline of a family and couple as the disease slowly gnaws at long-standing bonds, she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about the wife who鈥檚 married to the person who gets the diagnosis and how it affects her and her family, and her path to accepting what her life will be,鈥� Daum said. 鈥淪he goes down a few rabbit holes 鈥� and eventually comes to a place of acceptance.鈥�
Daum, who was rewriting lines right up until opening night, said the play evolved during sessions at a women鈥檚 writing workshop in Vancouver. She said she didn鈥檛 tell anybody about her husband鈥檚 diagnosis and the foundation of the play emerged during those gatherings.
鈥淚 started to write scenes about a woman whose husband had early-onset and nobody in the group knew John had it,鈥� said Daum. 鈥淭hey were really impressed with my knowledge about the disease. I got to talk about what it was like for a caregiver. I got to do all of that without anybody knowing it was actually about me.鈥�
鈥淔orget About Tomorrow鈥� is Daum鈥檚 first solo project, though she has collaborated on other plays.
She said Mann is not able to attend the Victoria performances.
鈥淲e鈥檝e just gone through a really rough patch with him. But he鈥檚 still beautiful Johnny. He鈥檚 still snapping his fingers. There鈥檚 a lot of love for John in this show.鈥�
She said Mann often helped her read lines in the scenes and he contributed two songs to the play.
The songs, 鈥淔orget to Forget,鈥� and 鈥淭om鈥檚 Song,鈥� are the last songs Mann has written. The play opens and closes with the songs.
Daum said the play is an emotional roller-coaster, humorous and moving, as the family attempts to cope with upheaval in their lives. The performance arrives at a crossroad, where actor Jennifer Lines, who portrays the wife and caregiver, meets a new man and confronts a difficult decision.
鈥淭he dilemma is should Jane take it or stay with her husband when we all know in two years he won鈥檛 remember her name,鈥� she said.
Daum said her personal road to acceptance of Alzheimer鈥檚 has been difficult, especially since the journey is continuing to its ultimate end.
鈥淚 will have a life past Alzheimer鈥檚 and John won鈥檛. It鈥檚 hard for everybody,鈥� Daum said.
Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press
