Growing old is not for wimps

A frail, elderly, institutionalized woman; who longs to see her overscheduled, grimly scientific middle-aged daughter and more compassionate, thoughtful granddaughter; is the central figure in this original multidisciplinary piece. The Elephant’s Graveyard mixes fantasy, symbolism and the simple but aching reality of growing old. There’s an elegantly dressed woman singing narration from a balcony, spooky balletlike moves involving a wheelchair and crutches (and later a pas de deux with Death), a wild confrontation with hucksterish representatives of different religions and more. This production by the Sideshow Physical Theatre is not a “musical” (though there are songs and incidental instrumentals)—it belongs in its own special category.