The Heath

by Lauren Gunderson

Lauren turns her storytelling on herself as she wrestles with how you make peace with a beloved relative who seems unlike you in every way. This beautiful, funny mediation on her South Carolinian grandfather's life draws on everything from Shakespeare's KING LEAR to Bluegrass banjo in a soul-stirring story of legacy, family, Alzheimers, World War 2, redemption, love, madness, and the science of memory.

For...

Lauren turns her storytelling on herself as she wrestles with how you make peace with a beloved relative who seems unlike you in every way. This beautiful, funny mediation on her South Carolinian grandfather's life draws on everything from Shakespeare's KING LEAR to Bluegrass banjo in a soul-stirring story of legacy, family, Alzheimers, World War 2, redemption, love, madness, and the science of memory.

For scores for original music contact the author.

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The Heath

Recommended by

  • James Binz: The Heath

    My goodness. So many feels. So many turns. Lauren Gunderson creates, no re-creates, a world of sadness and glory and life. What a wonderful theatrical experience! A new format, a new form and a new, but many told, tale. Extraordinary. Brava!

    My goodness. So many feels. So many turns. Lauren Gunderson creates, no re-creates, a world of sadness and glory and life. What a wonderful theatrical experience! A new format, a new form and a new, but many told, tale. Extraordinary. Brava!

  • Jillian Blevins: The Heath

    Banjo + Shakespeare = perfection. I was lucky enough to see this piece performed at MRT in 2018. Gunderson’s metatheatrical autobiography invites us into her very real struggle to reconcile her conflicting feelings about her grandfather, with whom she shared a deep connection but differed from in many important ways (his holy text is the Bible; hers is Shakespeare). The storm of Lear’s madness is a powerful metaphor for her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s, and Gunderson’s transformation into first Cordelia and then The Fool allows her to try to enter his world and get answers about their...

    Banjo + Shakespeare = perfection. I was lucky enough to see this piece performed at MRT in 2018. Gunderson’s metatheatrical autobiography invites us into her very real struggle to reconcile her conflicting feelings about her grandfather, with whom she shared a deep connection but differed from in many important ways (his holy text is the Bible; hers is Shakespeare). The storm of Lear’s madness is a powerful metaphor for her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s, and Gunderson’s transformation into first Cordelia and then The Fool allows her to try to enter his world and get answers about their relationship.

  • Samantha Marchant: The Heath

    Resonated on many levels, this script reaches for connection.

    Resonated on many levels, this script reaches for connection.

View all 6 recommendations

Character Information

  • Lauren
    Character Age
    30s
    Character Gender Identity
    any female identifying
  • KD
    Character Age
    70s, 80s, 90s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Male

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Berkeley Rep, Year 2014

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization The Warehouse Theatre, Year 2019
  • Type Professional, Organization Merrimack Rep, Year 2018