The Remember Project Performs “Fortune Cookies” in Minneapolis

St. Paul, MN, January 17, 2024. First Universalist Church, in partnership with Friends & Co, proudly presents “Fortune Cookies,” a free community outreach event that shines a light on the importance of brain health and will help raise awareness about cognitive decline and social isolation. This event takes place on January 27th and is designed for intergenerational audiences. The event features a short play followed by facilitated conversations to advance the efforts in the Twin Cities as part of a broader age-friendly, dementia-friendly region. The event begins with social time, including light refreshments, and is followed by the play and community conversation.

“We are eager to partner with the Remember Project,” says Reverend Arif of the First Universalist Church. “We are delighted to have this group come to us for a live event! The Remember Project is so engaging, and the plays are exceptional. They are funny, honest, and moving. It might seem strange to think about a play being funny when part of the subject matter is memory loss, but I think it’s the laughter that helps us put this topic in perspective.”

The play being presented during this event is “Fortune Cookies” by Bonnie Dudovitz. Audiences can participate on Saturday, January 27th at 1:00 pm in Minneapolis at First Universalist Church (3400 Dupont Ave S). Though tickets to these events are free, seating is limited, and reservations are required.

“Our ultimate goal,” said Danette McCarthy, Founder, “is to assist community members of all ages in considering new ways to think about brain health, memory loss, and social isolation. Becoming aware of local resources that support families is essential for everyone, especially those who are dealing with any type of cognitive decline.”

Written by Bonnie Dudovitz, “Fortune Cookies” is her first play. In it, the character of Mona is a high-energy entrepreneur who always has a project on the front burner. She is the life of the party, and her enthusiasm is both funny and charming. Though at age 80, Mona’s memory is sharp, yet she fears the idea of memory loss and has seen too much of it among friends and neighbors. With Mona as the guide in this brisk 16-minute play, we learn that Mona has a plan to counter the effects of future memory loss, and she is willing to go to great lengths to do so! As the audience gets to know Mona and her son, David, they find themselves with an opportunity to consider one of the biggest hurdles to creating a truly dementia-friendly Wisconsin: the need to understand how knowledge and compassion are essential to keeping families out of crisis.

“My mother had dementia and lived in a memory care facility for almost four years,” said Dudovitz, who is based in the Twin Cities. “She was always afraid of ending up with dementia, as are so many people, especially when they see it around them. I wrote this play to highlight those kinds of fears and for the audience to think about how those fears affect others. It’s not just the fear of losing your memory or your faculties – it’s also the process of how that happens. How will you be treated by friends and loved ones? How can we change that? I hope the audience will think about how they cope with their fears about memory loss and the way that affects how they relate to people with dementia.”

The Remember Project has delivered its unique programs over 300 times since the first events in 2015, showcasing the work of professional directors, designers, actors, and facilitators. Learn more at rememberproject.org.

Hosted by the First Universalist Church in partnership with Friends & Co, this event is sponsored by United HealthCare. The grant was made possible through UnitedHealthcare’s Empowering Health commitment, which focuses on expanding access to care and addressing the social determinants of health for uninsured or underserved individuals.

To learn more and to register for the event, play, and conversations, please visit https://UHC-TRP2024.eventbrite.com or call First Universalist at (612) 825-1701 or Friends & Co. at (612) 721-1400.

The Remember Project is part of Trellis’s family of programs & services, helping people optimize their well-being as they age.