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A Finished Heart

Synopsis

Eliott Cherry www.afinishedheart.com
A Finished Heart is my solo, live performance of narrative, dialogue and poetry with a musical score. I introduce Chris, who, in 2007, is my husband of sixteen years. At the age of 56, he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has three months to live.

As I care for him,  Chris shares his experience of dying and we talk intimately about love, forgiveness, suffering, peace and meaning. The culmination of our life together is that I could help Chris die and he could guide and comfort me. How would this time unfold?
Dying is our teacher and we learn from each other. We find our deepest meaning by bringing all emotions and intuition into experience without judgment.

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Our world is filled with questions. Answers change; some are not forthcoming and we wonder: can they exist? Control seems irrelevant and this increases my compassion for self and others.
Our dialogues express what we taught each other, how we changed during this time and our love. These are days of great passion, infused with our characteristic humor.

Our words explore the relationship between how we thought about dying in the past and what would actually transpire; and my journal reveals how this loss, profound beyond words, has altered my relationship with the world.
Chris had a great sense of play. Here he is, extracting something from under a rock! A Finished Heart brings audiences to gentle laughter, just as it may bring tears that express the joys of love and the pangs of great sorrow.  "To be able to laugh in the face of dire circumstances is a gift," wrote actor and director, Wil Kilroy, after he brought the show to University of Southern Maine, "and you provided that for us amidst eloquent poetry, beautiful music and pithy dialogue."

​Acredito que A Finished Heart incorpora o belo sentimento português de saudade. Para mim, luto não é o preço que pagamos pelo amor, mas o próprio amor.
Photo copyright 2007 Eliott Cherry All Rights Reserved. LGBT Diversity, Cultural Competency, Nursing, Social Work Education, End of Life Care, A Finished Heart a one-man show by Eliott Cherry
I believe that A Finished Heart embodies the beautiful Portuguese sentiment of Saudade, inasmuch as it has been described (as closely as possible in English) as "the presence of the absence." For me, grief is not "the price we pay for love," but love itself.
Photo copyright 2007 Eliott Cherry All Rights Reserved. LGBT Diversity, Cultural Competency, Nursing, Social Work Education, End of Life Care, A Finished Heart a one-man show by Eliott Cherry
The sun retires. Chris' favorite place to jog says, "goodbye."
Photo and text copyright 2007 Eliott Cherry All Rights Reserved. LGBT Diversity, Cultural Competency, Nursing, Social Work Education, End of Life Care, A Finished Heart a one-man show by Eliott Cherry
A Finished Heart and post-performance discussions are intended as theatrical, educational and community-building experiences. They do not constitute therapy, or medical or psychological services of any kind. Always seek appropriate professional services as needed.

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COPYRIGHT © 2007 - 2023, ELIOTT MATTHEW CHERRY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, TODOS DIREITOS RESERVADOS
This website is only for use by individuals aged 18+
Younger than 18? Please tell your teachers about
A Finished Heart.
  • Home
  • Shows
    • Reviews & Supporters
    • Performance Synopsis
    • Information for Schools >
      • For High Schools
      • For Colleges
    • Schedule / History
    • Production Requirements
    • Booking Information
  • About
    • LGBT Inclusion & Acceptance
    • More Ways to Use "A Finished Heart"
    • Eliott's Bio
    • Chris' Bio
    • Contact
    • Press / Agents
    • Privacy Policy / Terms
  • Excerpts
  • Blog