WESTLAKE, Ohio — Performance is a form of expression.
For Molly McFadden, 72, it’s an outlet.
The theater is a sanctuary.
“It’s my safe space, always has been,” she said.
It’s a chance to share the story of her mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s.
“This show is primarily just me and my mom, and it’s about the 12 years of the journey I had with my mom and her Alzheimer’s and how devastating it was,” said McFadden. "I wanted to bring in music, puppetry, pathos and humor.”
Memory is the puppet that represents McFadden’s mother, Marietta, in her show Living on the Moon.
News 5 first reported on McFadden's outreach in March.
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McFadden is living with a diagnosis of her own, mild cognitive impairment (MCI.)
“I’m in what you could say are the early stages of possible Alzheimer’s and that’s scary,” she said.
“When I was diagnosed, I thought, well there goes my career and that was hard, I was scared but I got in a play and I fought it.”
She’s working to slow the progression of the diagnosis by eating healthier, exercising more and using LEQEMBI, which is a therapy to slow the impact of Alzheimer’s disease.
“I want to believe I’ve got this, I want to believe I’ve bought a lot of time,” she said.
McFadden went through a Brain, Health and Wellness Program at the Cleveland Clinic with Wellness and Preventative Specialist, Dr. Sandra Darling.
Darling said MCI doesn’t always lead to dementia.
“About 12 to 15%of patients with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop dementia every year,” she said.
“In the early stages, when you’re just starting to notice those memory lapses, it would be wise to schedule a brain consult, this is where we evaluate your memory and cognitive function, we assess your lifestyle because a lot of factors play a role.”
McFadden has created various versions of Living on the Moon over the years, but the most recent one will be performed in Westlake for the first time.
Living on the Moon will be at Clague Playhouse on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28, at7:30 p.m. Darling will also talk about the importance of early diagnosis following McFadden’s Friday performance in Westlake. Sunday's matinee, on June 29, is at 2:00 p.m. The shows are free. Seating is first come, first served.
She’s then taking the show overseas to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland in August. If you’d like to help McFadden make the trip to Scotland, click here.
