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Fragmented reality with a purpose
Villanova’s Center For Irish Studies presents Lost Lear
Picture an idealized Irish streetscape—there’s the village shop, post office, and pub. Only none of it is real. It’s part of a memory care unit meant to prompt those living with dementia to feel calm and connected to the world around them. Dublin-based theatermaker Dan Colley first encountered reminiscence therapy when visiting his grandmother in such a unit. The theatrical nature of the setting, as well as the philosophical questions that came with it, led him to create Lost Lear, which will have its North American premiere through Villanova’s Center For Irish Studies this month.
“I'm fascinated with the ways in which we are sort of imprisoned by our own experience of the world,” Colley said. “You know, we could wake up at any moment and discover we have been asleep and we are living another life.”
An immersive production
In Lost Lear, the audience meets the main character of Joy as she sees herself: a young person in her 30s preparing for an avant garde production of King Lear. In reality, she is a retired actor with dementia, reliving her memories of rehearsing the Shakespearean tragedy.
When her estranged son arrives, Joy’s memory casts him as the character of Cordelia, Lear’s daughter. Using King Lear was a natural storytelling choice, Colley said, as it is often read as a story of dementia, and deals with how an aging parent must entrust their welfare to their children.
“I wanted to make something that was about care and the kind of difficulties that come about when you're sort of denying other people's reality in favor of somebody else's,” Colley said. “Whether you have dementia or not, that can be difficult.”
As Joy’s experience becomes more fragmented, music, puppetry, projection, and live video effects layer together to tell a tender and complex human story. It’s an immersive production, a reflection of how Colley developed the production in collaboration with the cast and, notably, production manager Eoin Kilkenny, video designer Ross Ryder and musician Daniel McAuley.
The question of care
Villanova’s Center for Irish Studies has had a long relationship with Irish theatermakers, and previewed the play in 2024 at an annual event hosted by the Irish Arts Center in New York City. The piece invites interdisciplinary conversation, and nursing and theater students alike will attend as part of coursework.
Recognizing that care happens in different ways in different cultures, Colley said he is interested to see what reactions come from American audiences. He said it’s been a privilege to speak with attendees following other productions, because conversations veer toward personal and reflective.
“Where does dignity come into it? Are we protecting their dignity by meeting them where they are, or are we denying them some agency by denying the reality that they're in?” Colley asked. “I'd be really fascinated to know what people's take on those questions are in different cultures.”
What, When, Where
Lost Lear. Directed by Dan Colley. $15-$40. February 13-15, 2025, at the Topper Theater of The John and Joan Mullen Center for Performing Arts, Villanova University, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA. $15-$40. villanova.edu.
Accessibility
The Mullen Center offers a number of services for patrons with special needs. This familiarization guide has extensive information about the venue and the synopsis of the play.
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