Photos by: Christian Stevenson
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control described post-pandemic challenges in the healthcare field, with “nearly half of health workers report[ing] often feeling burned out.” Although there is a lack of utilization of behavioral health programs among these caregivers, supportive work environments can help to promote well-being, impacting provider mental health, turnover, and productivity.
To address healthcare workers’ needs, Elevate Theatre Company and Maimonides Health have partnered to create Acts of Care: Caregiver Stories on Stage, a program promoting workplace engagement and support for healthcare workers. Storytelling can be used as a tool to support mental health by allowing individuals to express their lived experience. Through Elevate’s unique Storytelling Workshops, we engaged Maimonides staff and our playwright, Kareem M. Lucas wrote a one-act play, Activities of Daily Living, inspired by their experiences.
Through this program we aim to celebrate the major contributions of caregivers, open a gateway for discussion about opportunities for resilience in the workplace, and offer access to new arts engagement activities through theater and storytelling for all Maimonides staff.
MEET THE TEAM
Interested in this kind of work for your frontline team? Connect with us: community@ElevateTheatreCompany.com
Activities of Daily Living by Kareem M. Lucas
Show Synopsis: Commissioned by Elevate Theatre Company and built from the real testimonies of Maimonides Health staff, Activities In Daily Living is a vibrant, visceral new one-act play that explores an urgent question: What is a healthcare worker’s relationship to their own health? Set in the bustling, liminal space of a Brooklyn hospital break room, the play follows a tight knit found family of hospital workers at Maimonides, spanning from veteran head nurses and lead doctors to the cleaning and security staff. Through sharp humor, profound resilience, and devastating truth, the story centers on Lois, the fiercely competent head nurse of the main patient floor, and Moses, a deeply beloved cleaning staff worker secretly battling her own failing health. When the caregiver suddenly becomes the patient, the ecosystem of the floor shifts, forcing the team to confront the limits of their own armor and the true cost of caring for others. Designed for a nimble, powerhouse ensemble of 4 actors taking on 6+ roles, Activities In Daily Living is a grounded, deeply human celebration of the unsung heroes who keep the hospital breathing.
Meet the Cast
Meet the Panelists
