Berkshire on Stage

The synopsis of The Father found on Schenectady Civic Players’ event page is short but telling: “Now 80 years old, André was once a tap dancer. He lives with his daughter, Anne, and her husband, Antoine. Or was André an engineer, whose daughter Anne lives in London with her new lover, Pierre? The thing is, he is still wearing his pyjamas, and he can’t find his watch. He is starting to wonder if he’s losing control.” As the synopsis suggests, The Father concerns an aging man who is grappling with dementia and losing his grasp on reality. What the synopsis does not make clear is that this play is shown from the point of view of the dementia patient, with characters occasionally played by other actors and scenes playing out multiple times with different outcomes, so that the audience loses touch with the play’s “reality” as well. The result is a raw, honest, and evocative play about life with dementia and the struggles of those caring for dementia patients.

Gary Maggio plays the titular “Father,” André, in a way that makes him sympathetic to the audience but also immensely frustrating. He is charming, sassy, and hilariously stubborn, he is also angry, confused, prone to outbursts, and unable to admit that he is losing his grasp on the world around him. Anyone who has been around a loved one suffering from Alzheimers or dementia will immediately recognize the despair, heartbreak, and anger beautifully portrayed throughout the play by Colleen Lovett as Anne. 

Lovett and Maggio are both outstanding in their respective roles and could have carried the play themselves, but the supporting cast is excellent as well. The nature of this play calls for its cast to play their parts in line with Andre’s paranoia and warped sense of reality, and all of them did this so well that I felt as though my own grasp of reality was slipping away as well. Michael Schaefer and Tony Pallone in particular played their parts in a way that suggested the confused lens through which Andre sees the world but didn’t lose sight of their own characters. Michael Schaefer is especially impressive as he steps into a scene previously played out between Pallone and Maggio, and steps immediately into Pallone’s tone and mannerisms as he takes on the same character. All of this blending and breaking of reality leads to a heartbreaking last scene between Gary Maggio and Amy Hausknecht that wonderfully concludes a raw and evocative portrayal of dementia.

The set for The Father, designed by Robin MacDuffie with set dressings by Elise Charlebois also serves the disoriented and confused tone of the play as the stage transforms from Andre’s home to Anne’s home to an assisted living facility in stages that defy continuity and instead suggest Andre’s flawed and confused memory. As the play opens, the set looks like what one might imagine when they picture a typical grandparents’ home: a small and simple apartment with walls adorned with distressed blue wallpaper, pretty but boring art, and a myriad of old photographs. But as the play goes on, the walls rotate, the decor changes, and the furniture begins getting swapped out in a way that serves to confuse the audience as much as it confuses Andre. Beth Ruman’s costuming is similarly well done as Andre’s state of dress devolves from a smart suit to a set of pajamas. In a stroke of costuming genius, the gold pajamas and red bathrobe that Andre wears for much of the play contrast the cool colors of the set perfectly and make him the aesthetic focal point of the show.

I cannot say enough good things about Schenectady Civic’s current offering. Though short, this play is a powerful emotional journey that will amuse and move any audience member, but especially those who have dealt with or cared for someone suffering from dementia. With an outstanding cast, genius costuming, a simple yet versatile set, and a heartbreaking script, Schenectady Civic Players’ production of The Father is not to be missed. 

Schenectady Civic Players presents The Father by Florian Zeller, directed by David Rook, runs from January 19-28, 2024, at the Schenectady Civic Playhouse, 12 South Church Street in Schenectady, NY. Assistant Director: Evan Jones. Stage Manager: Beth Swallow. Assistant Stage Manager: Thorn Burnham. Board operator: Elise Charlebois. Producers: Beth Ruman, Beth Swallow, and Jennifer Van Iderstyne. Cast: Gary Maggio as Andre, Colleen Lovett as Anne, Ashley Schuliger as Laura, Tony Pallone as Pierre, Michael Schaefer as Man, Amy Hausknecht as Woman. Set design by Robin MacDuffie. Set construction by Robin MacDuffie and Peter Hesse. Lighting design by Nicky Lightz. Sound design by Brian Starnes. Costume design by Beth Ruman. Properties and set dressings by Elise Charlebois. Fight choreography by Molly Waters. 

Performance dates are Friday–Sunday (January 19-21) and Wednesday–Sunday (January 24-28). Friday and Saturday curtains are at 8 pm, Wednesday and Thursday curtains are at 7:30 pm, and Sundays are matinees only at 2:30 pm. All tickets are $25. Runs approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Contains depictions of elder abuse and dementia. Recommended for ages 12+. Tickets are available online, by phone, or at the door for any performance. Call 518-382-2081 or visit civicplayers.org for more information.