"It makes life so much easier when everybody knows its time", says
one character in Belinda Lopez's The Window Outside. Presented as part
of the Victorian Seniors Festival, the play explores the relationship
between a family when tragedy strikes and tough decisions need to be
made. Everyone is reaching boiling point after Frank has had a stroke,
Evelyn is showing signs of dementia and their two adult daughters are
unable to continue caring for their parents.
Carrie
Moczynski reprises her role as Evelyn after playing her seven years ago
in a season at La Mama. Her portrayal is once again laced with a loving
vulnerability and determination and even though she doesn't explicitly
state it, there are traces of acknowledgement that her mind is slowly
deteriorating. Ian Rooney's performance relies on his body language and
facial expressions to tell his story. He does a great job of
highlighting the spark of life he once had and how it has now left him.
As his oldest daughter Sharon states in one scene, he is but a shell of
what he was, which the flashbacks also do well in supporting.
Violet and Norman are a 120 year old couple. While their lives might not be as fast paced as they once were, the love and affection they share for each other is still going strong. Presented by UK theatre company, Ridiculusmus, Die! Die! Die! Old People Die! is an exploration of dying and grieving performed by Jon Haynes and David Woods.
The couple appear at the far back corner of the room. A round table and two chairs are placed on top of a circular rug in the front of the space. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling. It takes roughly ten minutes for Violet and Norman to walk over and sit down on the chairs. The physicality Haynes and Woods portray with these characters is skilful and dedicated, but patience quickly wears thin with this show.
