‘A TRAGIC FARCE’ ALFRED MOLINA TAKES THE STAGE IN HIS HOMETOWN THEATER FOR ‘THE FATHER’ BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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lfred Molina enjoys the Pasadena Playhouse. So, it was natural for him to accept the lead role in Florian Zeller’s play “The Father” at the Pasadena Playhouse. “It’s my local theater. I keep telling everyone it’s just a 12-minute commute,” Molina says with a laugh. Molina’s conversation is peppered with wise cracks, which makes “The Father” role even more snug. He plays André, who is suffering from a memory lapse and, as Molina says, it’s clear as the play progresses, his situation is worsening. But don’t let that description fool you. “It’s full of expectations that get confounded somewhat,” Molina says. “He’s clearly losing his memory and sense of who he is and who other people are. It’s sounds depressing, but Florian has written in the style of a farce — a tragic farce. “It’s a very funny play. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s so much more. It’s emotionally powerful and really packs a punch.” “The Father” deals with a theme and ideas that everyone faces — aging and dying. Molina says when the cast was initially rehearsing around the table, they shared how they were affected by dementia. “Most people have relatives who have it,” he says. “We were all working on a play and we were empathetic. We all have an empathy for this situation. It’s almost an epidemic. Within the next 25 years, 1 in 3 Americans will have been touched by the disease or suffering from it in some shape or form.” Molina says he discovered the vast majority of research dollars around the world used to go toward finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Now, it’s going toward preventative measures. “It’s a strange disease. It’s a cowardly disease,” he says. “Once it’s diagnosed, it’s already established a hold. As the body starts to break down, it ceases to send certain messages to the body. You’re finding it hard to swallow. You can’t eat. We were talking about how unfair it is. “If you get a cancer diagnosis — God forbid — early enough, you can fight it, face the illness and do what’s necessary to fight it. Alzheimer’s, it creeps up and establishes itself and there’s nothing you can do. It’s a one-way street. The play’s dealing with a very, very critical and timely topic. It’s full of humor, empathy and love.” The Pasadena Playhouse is just as excited to have Molina. Pasadena Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman says, “Alfred Molina is one of the greatest actors of our time.” Pasadena Playhouse producing artistic director. “We’ve been searching for a play to do together here at the Playhouse since I started a few years ago. ‘The Father’ had a profound impact on me. I distinctly remember reading the script in my office and getting to the end and feeling breathless. I sent it to Fred and he quickly said, ‘this is the one.’ I think it will be a performance that people will be talking about for years to come.” –continued on page 24
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