Thespian writes film on Alzheimer’s

LISA ALLEN-AGOSTINI

WELL-KNOWN TT theatre and media personality Abeo Jackson is wrapping up her one-year master of arts degree in acting for screen at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London. A large part of her final grade will come from a sustained independent project requiring her to make a short film, from concept to screen.

Her film is Ruth, a drama about early-onset Alzheimer’s. She wrote the script and plays the lead.

Jackson, who completed her undergraduate studies with honours at Dickinson College, Pennsylvania, is an actor, dancer, choreographer, radio and television host, creative producer and theatre producer. She choreographed productions of The Sound of Music, The King and I, Jesus Christ Superstar and Mahalia: A Gospel Musical. She has decades of experience in performing.

Writing Ruth comes from personal experience. “My interest, as the writer, in telling this story is rooted in having seen three women in my family — my grandmother and great aunt, both deceased, and my aunt, currently ill – battle with the horrible disease. It is rooted in my fears for myself and the potential of genetics and heredity, as well as in an exploration of the tendency within certain communities and demographics within the diaspora to be completely unprepared to deal with and accept the realities of severe mental illness.”

Unlike many people who develop the disease, Ruth is not old. There is a strain of it that affects young people and it’s genetic.

In the film, “Blurred memories triggered by the colourful Post-It notes that are the only things that seem to keep Ruth grounded in her flailing reality. The film will also seek to seamlessly blend simple creative elements with factual medical information, research and data,” said Jackson in a press release about the project.

Jackson is financing the film through a crowdfunding initiative. “Without completing this final Herculean leg of the journey, funding and all, a student would in turn not complete their degree. Unfortunately, TT does not have a history of supporting crowdfunding ventures in this way, nor do we have a very strong history of corporate or government support for short film projects of this nature.

Most short filmmakers locally deal in passion projects supported by fellow artists. I am hoping that this time around TT would be willing to trust the crowdfunder process to support. Every little bit will count,” Jackson said in a message via social media.

To find out how to support Abeo Jackson and the short film Ruth, e-mail: abeo.jackson@cssd.ac.uk