The Caregivers by Ruth Apolonia Zamoyta

Winner - 2018 NJ State Council on the Arts Artist Fellowship; 2018 semi-finalist Bay Area Play Festival. The Caregivers follows four days in the life of two caregivers: Frances, a frazzled single mom who is caring for her dying mother, Marjorie; and Anna, Marjorie’s religious 24/7 aide who left her children in Trinidad to make money in the States. Tired of watching her mother suffer pointlessly, Frances decides...
Winner - 2018 NJ State Council on the Arts Artist Fellowship; 2018 semi-finalist Bay Area Play Festival. The Caregivers follows four days in the life of two caregivers: Frances, a frazzled single mom who is caring for her dying mother, Marjorie; and Anna, Marjorie’s religious 24/7 aide who left her children in Trinidad to make money in the States. Tired of watching her mother suffer pointlessly, Frances decides to withhold food and water. Anna doesn’t like that idea and defies her employer, making the situation erupt. Can the two women come to terms and decide what is right for Marjorie?
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The Caregivers

Recommended by

  • Jacquelyn Reingold:
    14 Apr. 2021
    “ This harrowing-in-the-best way play about a middle aged daughter and a professional caregiver, in true conflict over the ending lives of--both their mothers, hit close to home. A tour de force for two women actors! I would love to see this wrenching, complex, beautifully written drama on stage. Even though it would break my heart. But that is why I go to the theater. To look at the dark places. To feel, and sometimes mourn, freely in the dark. And to be think about the fragility of our lives, and the nightmares of inequity. Bravas to this playwright! ”
  • Cheryl Bear:
    18 Aug. 2019
    “ An outstanding drama on Alzheimer's and the dilemma a family faces. We are brought into their nightmare and come out with a true understanding of what it is to experience this. Highly recommend! ”
  • Dominica Plummer:
    14 Mar. 2019
    “ Anna, Margaret's Trinidadian caregiver, and Margaret's daughter Frances face off as they try to decide how best to deal with Margaret's slow progress towards death, made all the more painful because Alzheimer's has robbed Margaret of her mind while leaving behind a body that needs 24 hour care. Anna is determined to keep Margaret's body comfortable for as long as possible, while Frances is actively working to end her mother's suffering. Zamoyta's deeply moving drama encourages us to empathize with each character even as we wonder how we would act in a similar situation. ”

f, 50, white
f, late 30s, black (West Indies)
f, 70s, white

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre
    ,
    2017
  • Workshop
    ,
    Luna Stage Company
    ,
    2016

Awards

Winner
,
NJ State Council on the Arts Fellowship
,
NJ State Council on the Arts
,
2018