Arizona Theatre Company is excited to announce that it will partner with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute for its much-anticipated 55th season to help break barriers, educate and bring awareness to theatregoers about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Banner in the effort to raise awareness around the critical issues of dementia and Alzheimer’s,” said ATC Kasser Family Artistic Director, Sean Daniels. “We also seek to weave in ATC’s goals of immersing our community in the arts while showcasing the health benefits of living an artistically enriched life.”

The institute will be a season-long community partner participating in various activations at the theatre, including increased involvement during the season’s fourth show, Pru Payne.

The production is a world premiere written by Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Steven Drukman that opens in Tucson on March 10 and in Phoenix on April 1. Pru Payne is widely recognized as a wit, a scholar, and a public intellectual; her son Thomas lives in that shadow. But as her memory begins to fade, all her preconceived notions – about herself and, more importantly, others – also slip away. Pru Payne is a remarkable, funny, and life-affirming story about the relationship between a mother and son, love and loss.
For Pru Payne, ATC will host conversations with experts from the institute about Alzheimer’s and other dementias that will be shared widely on the social media pages of both organizations. Playwright Steven Drukman will also be hosted on the institute’s “Dementia Untangled” podcast, which focuses on innovative ideas, practical strategies and proven methods that create a supportive path for caregivers.

To kick off the partnership, Max Alexander-Taylor, star of ATC’s season opener The Lion, will perform for persons living with memory loss and their care partners as part of Banner Alzheimer’s Institute’s virtual Shine Your Light life enrichment program.

“This partnership is exciting on two levels,” said Lori Nisson, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute Family and Community Services director. “We’re raising awareness in the community about the challenges thousands of Arizonans face living with dementia to help garner support, but we’re also bringing arts, life enrichment and joy to people directly affected by Alzheimer’s disease.”

For more information about the partnership and other activations between the two organizations, please visit ATC.org and follow the company on Facebook.

About Arizona Theatre Company
Arizona Theatre Company’s (ATC) performances bring people together to experience essential stories, from reimagined classics to contemporary plays, original works, and innovative musicals fostering continued conversation beyond the theatre walls. Founded in 1966 and celebrating its 54th season, ATC is led by Kasser Family Artistic Director Sean Daniels and Managing Director Geri Wright. ATC operates in two major cities and is the preeminent professional theatre in Arizona, recognized as the official State theatre.

About Banner Alzheimer’s Institute
Since its inception in 2006, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) has sought to find effective Alzheimer’s disease prevention therapies without losing another generation, establish a new model of dementia care for patients and family caregivers, and forge new models of collaboration in biomedical research. It has made groundbreaking contributions to the unusually early detection, tracking, diagnosis and study of Alzheimer’s, and aims to find an effective prevention therapy by 2025. It includes the pioneering Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative (API), an extensive profile of research studies and clinical trials, comprehensive clinical, family and community service programs, a leading brain imaging research program, and strategic partnerships with public and private research organizations around the world. Learn more at bannerhealth.com.

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