Theater, medicine merge

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Alzheimer’s disease by German researcher Alois Alzheimer.

To honor the discovery, the UC Irvine Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia is presenting “Augusta’s File,” a play about Alzheimer’s 1906 discovery of the disease in his female patient Augusta Deter. It will show at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies in Irvine.

Deter was the first patient to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer recorded her case in a file that was lost in 1909, just three years after he first made the breakthrough. In 1995, Konrad and Ulrike Maurer discovered the file and later wrote “Augusta’s File” from what they had learned.

The file played a large role in their documentation of the event.

“Dialogue is taken directly from case notes found intact in Augusta’s file,” Kim Bailey, director of community development for the institute, said of the play.

As “Augusta’s File” is based on Alzheimer’s case notes, it holds both historical and scientific value.

“We are so excited about providing this kind of scholarly forum for people to learn something new and enrich their lives,” said Carl Cotman, director of the institute.

After the performance, a panel of medical experts will gather to answer questions from the audience. Cotman will be one of the featured panelists.

The treat of the evening lies in one of the other panelists scheduled to attend.

“Konrad Maurer, one of the German researchers who actually wrote the play, will be flying in from Germany to see the show and participate on the panel,” Bailey said. “We are very excited about the fact that Dr. Maurer will be a part of this night.”

The evening will conclude with a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception, at which attendees can enjoy refreshments while mingling with the show’s cast, the panelists and other members of the community.

The cast will be made up of performers from the Master’s Repertory Theater. Patricia Thompson, co-founder of the theater group, will direct the play.

Those with Master’s Repertory Theater have volunteered their time in putting the show together.

“We feel like this is a very worthy cause,” Thompson said.

The event has been in the works for months, and Cotman said he is glad to see that everything has come together so well.

“It’s amazing how things like this seem to take a life of their own,” he said.

The event is free, but donations to Alzheimer’s disease research at UC Irvine are requested. All proceeds will go directly to the efforts at the UC Irvine Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia.

To make a reservation for the event, call (949) 824-3251.

“This is an awareness-raiser,” Bailey said. “In Orange County, there is an estimated 60,000 individuals who already have or are suffering from mild cognitive impairment. We anticipate many cases in the near future with the baby boomers, so it’s important to educate the public.”