LOS ANGELES – Roxana Ortega โคdelivers โฃa profoundly moving โand unflinchingly honest solo performance in โข”Am I โคRoxie?” now playing at the Geffen Playhouse,confronting the heartbreaking realitiesโ of her mother’s descent into Alzheimer’s disease and the complex emotional landscape of caregiving. Theโ 85-minute show, directed by Bernardo Cubrรญa, isn’tโฃ aโ conventional narrative play but a deeply personal and intimate confession, forging a powerful connection with audiences through Ortega’s vulnerability and grace.
The production arrives at a moment when millions grapple with the โขescalating crisis โof dementia, with diagnosesโค projected to surge as the population ages. “am I Roxie?” offers a rare and vitalโ glimpse into the experience of both the โฃcaregiver and the afflicted, challengingโค audiences โto consider the ethicalโฃ and emotional weight ofโค defining identity in โขthe face of cognitive decline. Ortega’s story resonates not only with those directly โimpacted โby Alzheimer’s but withโฃ anyone who has navigated the complexities of family, โคloss, and the search for meaning.
Ortega’s performance centers on her mother, Carmen‘s, increasingly fractured reality, where she oscillates between recognizingโ her daughter and believingโ Ortega is her sister, Roxie.The playโ doesn’t shy away from โขthe frustrationโข and โhelplessness, but it’s Ortega’s refusal to reduceโ her mother’s confusion โtoโ a โขmere “symptom” that anchors the emotional core. She recounts Carmen’s poignantโฃ questions -โฃ “How areโ you doing in your life, Roxie?” – and her ownโ struggle to reconcile the woman her โคmother was with the person โฃshe is becoming.
cubrรญa’s direction is deliberately restrained. Minimalist set pieces shift mechanically, and projectionsโข offer abstract visuals,โฃ including a metaphorical climb up Mt. Kilimanjaroโ representing their mental health journey, butโฃ the focus remains squarely on Ortega. She shares her fears of failing her mother, acknowledging moments of โexasperation alongside โunwaveringโ love. โฃ
“Am I Roxie?” isn’t reliant onโค spectacle; it’sโข aโ testament toโ the โpower of storytelling and the enduring strength of the human spirit. The play runs through Oct. 5 โatโฃ the Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., L.A. Ticketsโฃ are $45-$139 and available at โข(310) โ208-2028 or www.geffenplayhouse.org. The running time is 1 hour, 25 minutes.