“Nobody gets out of this life alive,” said Patricia Berry, quoting a well-known adage.
In a society in which we value youth and wellness, College of Nursing researcher and Assistant Professor Berry’s words sound shocking. Death and disease aren’t usual dinner-table topics. Nurses like Berry, however, are thrilled that Studio 115’s production of “W;t” is daring to delve into the pain and beauty of dealing with death and dying.
Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize winner, “W;t” doesn’t tiptoe around its message. Within minutes of being on stage, the play’s doomed lead character, Professor Vivian Bearing (played by Sarah Shippobotham, director of the Actor Training Program), explains to us that she will die of cancer. The genius behind this story is sharing Professor Bearing’s journey as she sinks deeper into illness and the effect it has on her psyche. The journey is often hard and messy, but beautifully truthful. Edson’s writing surpasses the uncomfortable subject matter and eases the audience into a frank and unyielding examination of terminal illness.
One of the most profound and honest relationships within “W;t” is between Bearing and her nurse, Sue Monahan (played by Leticia Velez). Berry understands the closeness and absolute importance this relationship holds for real patients. After 33 years as a nurse, Berry has comforted hundreds of families and patients facing the realities of death and illness, she said.
“You only get one chance to get it right,” Berry said. “Don’t expect to have all the answers.”
Berry’s compassion and attunement to what a patient needs is often lacking both in real life and in “W;t.” Edson uses two of her characters, Dr. Kelekean (played by Nick Zaharias) and Dr. Posner (Colin Eliott) to embody the “greater good” attitude medicine has adopted. Throughout the play, Bearing is referred to as research and treated simply as a set of data.
Edson allows Bearing to express her fascination and frustration with her treatment and the attitudes of those surrounding her. Though Edson’s portrayal of insensitive doctors and unfriendly hospital staff may be a dramatization, it holds a grain of truth. Berry said she agrees that, sadly, attitudes and relationships are not always valued or emphasized in medicine.
This disconnection from what is human and organic is just what Berry and the U theater department are trying to remedy with their production. As “W;t” winds to a close and Bearing succumbs to the ravages of her experimental chemotherapy, she is faced with a decision.
Vivian decides on a “do not resuscitate” order in the event that her heart stops. Despite her wish, Dr. Posner attempts to revive her when she finally passes–in the interest of research.
Berry said she feels it is essential for people to share their wishes with their families.
“The default is to treat,” she said.
It can be difficult to discuss with loved ones, but in a crisis, it can relieve immense amounts of pressure to know exactly what someone wants.
“Death is a uniquely universal human experience. The reality is, we don’t live forever, and sooner or later we will have to deal with it,” Berry said.
Berry may be a realist when it comes to dying, but that hasn’t made her a pessimist. Above her desk hang pictures of her with her patients and their families. She keeps them there, she said, “to remind me of what is important.”
Berry is looking forward to having a night off–she plans to attend Studio 115’s production of “W;t.” Some might think after spending all day around death, Berry would want some lighter subject matter. She said, though, that “W;t” has the potential to get people talking–and that uplifts her.
Mike Terry
Ryan Perkins