Click here to download a PDF of the full project proposal.

PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Parkinson's is a progressive disorder that disables the brain cells that produce dopamine, which helps control movement and balance. Its cause is unknown. There is no known cure.

Between one and two million Americans are afflicted with Parkinson's, with 50,000 to 60,000 new cases diagnosed every year. The disease affects millions more in the families and caregivers whose loved ones have the disease.

Each person with Parkinson's has his or her own unique symptoms - trembling hands, stumbling gate, slurred speech, jerky movements, or an expressionless face. It affects all the elements that are essential to an actor's craft.

SAMUEL BECKETT'S ENDGAME

It is a testament to the talents of all involved in this project that the Beckett Estate, which carefully guards permission for performance of Beckett's work, has granted this production the right to not only perform this play, but make it the basis for a documentary film.

ENDGAME is the story of Hamm, who is blind and cannot stand, and Clov, who can see but cannot sit. Together, they play out a vaudevillian routine of repetitive sorrow as they await the inevitable end to their diminishing lives. The play is the perfect vehicle to express the experience of living each day with Parkinson's.

Chris feels Clov's character dovetails his own: "It is the struggle to maintain, the will to endure in the face of relentless diminishment." Dan agrees, "Like Hamm, I feel myself slowly slipping from being the 'guy in charge' to being the 'guy in the way.'"

These parallels raise the question: are these two men able to perform this play?

THE ENDGAME PROJECT

ENDGAME is about Hamm and Clov, THE ENDGAME PROJECT is about Chris and Dan.

The production is in the capable hands of two Beckett veterans in director Joe Grifasi and production manager Ruth Kreshka. Film director Jim Bernfield will document the process as the actors enter the landscape of the play, hone their roles in relationship to their lives with Parkinson's, experience the drama and conflict of the rehearsal process, and climax with a live performance of the play in New York.

But THE ENDGAME PROJECT is about more than mounting a play.

The film observes Dan and Chris not only in their work, but also as husbands, fathers, partners and friends. The film documents situations as they transpire and engages Dan, Chris, their families, friends, doctors and caregivers in multiple interviews through the course of the play's production.

By chronicling these men's personal journeys, the film will inspire other people impacted by Parkinson's. But more important, it will provide the public with a model for understanding the growing number of people around us with Parkinson's disease.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

Medical care is a substantial part of Parkinson's disease. Through both men's interactions with their medical teams, the film explores the cutting-edge treatment they receive, physical therapies they undergo, and the social and psychological counseling to which they and their families turn.

THE ENDGAME PROJECT is working closely with New York University's Parkinson and Movement Disorder Center. Throughout the film, the Center's director, Alessandro Di Rocco, M.D., offers his expert insight into the science of Parkinson's disease, its symptoms, and its care.

ANCILLARY MATERIALS

Proposed for the broadcast version of the film is a full curriculum about living with Parkinson's and THE ENDGAME PROJECT, including breakout educational videos featuring in-depth interviews with medical experts, people living with Parkinson's, caregivers and family members of people with Parkinson's; a website; and a study guide.