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Many thanks to my transcriber! Please do not
repost.
On January 27th, 2004, Kate did a 'phone in' interview for the Joe Irwin
Interview Hour on 1340 AM WPBR Radio, Palm Beach. She spoke with
hosts Scott Fuhr and Eric Combast about the
upcoming
fundraiser for the South East Florida chapter of the Alzheimer's Association
that she'll be hosting on February 8th. (Interview joined "in progress".) Eric/Scott: And so in that role… it really does kind of flip your whole life around, because all of a sudden you become the caregiver for the person that cared for you her whole life. Kate Mulgrew: Well that's true. But I think more importantly it flips her life around. Eric/Scott: Right. Kate Mulgrew: It's beginning stages are not without their coherence. And she was very aware of what was happening to her and it was devastating on the profoundest level because my mother is an artist – a thinker – and really didn't want to live without her brain. Eric/Scott: Sure. Kate Mulgrew: So to adjust to life without your wits is a dance that I don't think I'd like to execute for myself. And I have learned in observing her that it is probably the single most courageous journey I've ever watched anybody ever take. If I can help a little bit assuage the pain of others, then that's what I'd like to do. Eric/Scott: And we really appreciate this benefit for us on February 8th. And it'll be a showing of the play – and why don't we talk a little bit about "Tea at Five" and what the play's about. Kate Mulgrew: Sure. Well it's about the life of Katharine Hepburn. Eric/Scott: Okay. Kate Mulgrew: And I play her both young and old. So in Act 1 you see her at thirty-one, having just been labeled 'box office poison' - in the living room of her family's summer home in Fenwick, Connecticut. And in Act 2, when she's seventy-six in a far more reflective state. Same place. Eric/Scott: Quite a jump. Our boss, Betty Flores, our CEO, is a big Katharine Hepburn fan so… Kate Mulgrew: Oh, great! Eric/Scott: So she's really excited about it. Kate Mulgrew: Great! Eric/Scott: She's a huge Katharine Hepburn fan, so, I learned that about her when I started talking to her about the play and what we're doing, so we'll do a matinee showing of that… Kate Mulgrew: That's right… Eric/Scott: And prior to that will be a cheese and wine reception… Kate Mulgrew: That's right, and then the performance and then I think there will be singing and wine or something in the lobby… Eric/Scott: Right. We've got a 'high tea' planned for after that. One of my favorite parts about planning an event is we get to meet with the caterer this afternoon and taste all the food. Kate Mulgrew: That's the best part! Eric/Scott: Yup, that's always one of my favorites. I like that… Kate Mulgrew: Okay, I'm onto you… yes… yes! Eric/Scott: So it'll be a high tea and… Kate Mulgrew: And then I will meet with everyone… Eric/Scott: Yup! Kate Mulgrew: … And photos with me will be taken if wished, and I'll sign programs and more importantly it'll be my pleasure to be able to meet everybody personally who has an interest in this disease and who has the philanthropy to make an effort on its behalf. Eric/Scott: Right. And it's a great opportunity – not a lot of people I don't think have been in the Cuillo Centre. It's a really neat theater. Kate Mulgrew: It is a lovely theater… Eric/Scott: It is really… Kate Mulgrew: Very intimate. Perfect for this play. Eric/Scott: And it's … it was a long time coming here in Palm Beach County for that to be reopened. It was just kind of sitting there for a long time. And now they've reopened it and cleaned it. It's just a marvelous … Kate Mulgrew: Yes… Eric/Scott: … Place. It's really nice. It's right on Clematis and Narcissus Street which is right in the center… right by the fountain down there. Kate Mulgrew: That's right. Right by the plaza. You can't miss it. Eric/Scott: And the play's been extended… Kate Mulgrew: Through the 22nd of February. Eric/Scott: Which is fantastic. Kate Mulgrew: Because the audiences down here have been responsive and so warm… Eric/Scott: That's great… Kate Mulgrew: And I've had a terrific time. Eric/Scott: That is awesome. And for tickets you can call the Centre at (561) 835-9226. Tickets are $150 a piece which include the wine and cheese reception, the matinee performance, the high tea afterwards with all of the good tea stuff… Kate Mulgrew: With live entertainment… Eric/Scott: With live entertainment. Kate Mulgrew: Right… Eric/Scott: We're going to have a pianist and a vocalist and there will be autograph picture sessions with yourself. And there's also going to be a raffle too, we should mention. Kate Mulgrew: That will be great. Eric/Scott: With a teapot which you've signed, which is pretty cool. Kate Mulgrew: Yes. Eric/Scott: Scott and I saw it last week so that should pretty neat. So we'll have that and I believe a couple of other things that we can raffle. Kate Mulgrew: I'm very much looking forward to it and I can't thank you gentlemen enough either for your … Eric/Scott: Oh, well thank you… Kate Mulgrew: Interest. Have either of you been touched by this personally? Eric/Scott: Personally I have not. I kind of got into this from a different angle. I was working at a law firm that did a lot of community service… Kate Mulgrew: I see… Eric/Scott: … and one of the big things that I liked to do was to work with the Alzheimer's Association and so I started working with our local chapter here and doing the Memory Walks, going to our Day Center down in Delray, and meeting the people that way. And I'm truly fascinated by it and I think that there's no worse disease than to rob your memories from you… Kate Mulgrew: That's right. Eric/Scott: And to see the eyes… you know the eyes are the windows to the soul … Kate Mulgrew: And see those eyes go blank… Eric/Scott: And it truly is just a blank look there. It's truly scary. And so when I was approached to come join the Association I said 'absolutely'. I think the meeting took all of fifteen minutes for me to come over…. Kate Mulgrew: Very unusual in a man of your age… Eric/Scott: Yeah. It really is touching to me. So family-wise I have not been touched – knock on whatever. Eric/Scott: It's a similar story with myself. I haven't had any personal experience with it directly although I do have a friend with a relative now up on the east coast of Delaware that has been diagnosed with it, so now it's coming closer to our family. But similar position to Eric's in that I was doing with other groups in the area and I was fascinated… Kate Mulgrew: Well I admire you both because it requires a certain amount of wisdom, doesn't it? Eric/Scott: It does. It does. Kate Mulgrew: A depth…to take this kind of a leap. Eric/Scott: It really does… Kate Mulgrew: And I think that if we… we all… somehow gather together that we will certainly help set up a plan regarding the expedition of the cure which I hope when I'm an old woman will be available but my mother and her generation has missed. Eric/Scott: Right. Right. Kate Mulgrew: So I that we need to fight the good fight. Eric/Scott: Yeah. And you know, you're right. Your mother's just seen the beginnings of the drugs that are coming out. Kate Mulgrew: Right. Eric/Scott: Where as we grow older I do believe we'll find a cure and that's what's so important about our mission – is to find that cure. Kate Mulgrew: That's right. Eric/Scott: So that Scott and I can go maybe work on another cure for something else. Kate Mulgrew: But also I think – to share it in our own community because I think that's what makes a community strong and singularly lovely, don't you? Eric/Scott: Oh absolutely. Kate Mulgrew: To care about these … matters… Eric/Scott: Exactly. Exactly. Well I really appreciate you taking time out of the day to do this and… Kate Mulgrew: It was my pleasure and I'm so looking forward to meeting you. Eric/Scott: And you too. The same here. Kate Mulgrew: We will have a great day! Eric/Scott: Kate, thanks. Kate Mulgrew: All right gentlemen, thank you. Eric/Scott: Bye bye. Kate Mulgrew: Bye bye. |
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