A new story takes the stage this month in Ivins as Kayenta Arts Foundation presents a workshop production of The Caregiver’s Guide as part of the Kayenta New Play Lab.
Running February 19–22 and 25–28 at the Lorraine Boccardo Theater inside the Center for the Arts at Kayenta, the production is written by Los Angeles playwright Jami Brandli and directed by Rob Goodman. Originally introduced as a staged reading in August 2024 through the Lab, the play returns in an expanded workshop format.
A Story of Family, Humor, and Hard Truths
In The Caregiver’s Guide, a stand-up comedian returns home and reveals he has inherited the early-onset Alzheimer’s gene from his late mother. His sisters must confront their own fears about health, the future, and what it means to care for someone who resists being cared for.
Blending humor, heart, and a touch of the supernatural, the play explores how one family leans on laughter, memory, and love during life’s most challenging turns.
Playwright Jami Brandli draws inspiration from her upbringing in her family’s Italian restaurant in New Jersey, her interest in myths and magical realism, and her background in education. Brandli returns to Kayenta for a second consecutive year. Her play The Magician’s Sister received a staged reading through the Kayenta New Play Lab before its full production in January 2025 and went on to receive the 2023 Jane Chambers Award and the 2023 Stanley Drama Award.
The workshop production is directed by Rob Goodman, who has directed more than sixty productions, including twenty-five world premieres. Goodman is the founder of First Stage Milwaukee, a professional theatre for young audiences, and retired to Southern Utah in 2016.
The cast includes Lizzy Kimball, Jacqueline Misaye, and local actors Jared Shipley, Dean Jones, and Kelly Bellini.
Inside the Kayenta New Play Lab
Established in 2023, the Kayenta New Play Lab supports six playwrights each year through a multi-step development process that includes table reads, dramaturgical feedback, a five-day writing residency, and rehearsals with a guest director and actors. Each Lab concludes with two public staged readings, followed by audience and dramaturg feedback. At the end of the season, a community panel selects one play for full production in a future Kayenta Arts season.
Miranda Wright, Executive Director of Kayenta Arts, shared that the Lab has become a cornerstone of the organization’s work, offering audiences a front-row seat to new theater in development while giving artists space to take creative risks.
Event Details
The Caregiver’s Guide
By Jami Brandli
Directed by Rob Goodman
Performances:
• Thurs, February 19, 7:30 PM
• Fri, February 20, 7:30 PM
• Sat, February 21, 7:30 PM
• Sun, February 22, 3 PM
• Weds, February 25, 7:30 PM
• Thurs, February 26, 7:30 PM
• Fri, February 27, 7:30 PM
• Sat, February 28, 3 PM
Location: Lorraine Boccardo Theater, Center for the Arts at Kayenta, Ivins
Tickets: $35; Student price $12
For tickets and more information, visit kayentaarts.org.
Alternate Headlines:
• Kayenta New Play Lab Presents The Caregiver’s Guide in Ivins
• New Workshop Production Explores Family and Alzheimer’s at Kayenta Arts
• Kayenta Arts Continues New Play Development with The Caregiver’s Guide
