Poppy Purse Productions @ Maple Valley Creative Arts Council’s The Talking Stick by John Ruoff (10-5-25)



When I entered my fifties, suddenly the admin artist day jobs of the earlier eras -- where what they look for in a receptionist is “young and hot” — weirdly dried up, of necessity, I had to take what was available. 

Caregiving, it turns out. 

We often tend to write what we know, and as I begin to write about dementia, I have noticed a lot of people also writing dementia. Evidently the Baby Boomers are telling our final story. 

So here we are in Maple Valley, engaging in a drama about a mother, a daughter, and what is lost as the mind goes.

The play straddled the divide between fringe and LORT and did what small theatre does nicely, be accessible and yet engaging. The audience was relaxed enough to be “there” with the piece. The intimacy of the space enabled us to connect in a tactile immediacy with the family drama. The actors pulled it off, as much as need be, and the playwright was there, no doubt learning what needs to be done for the next production.

© Joann Farias 2025