Walter Morrison

Walter Morrison's Backstory

Walter Morrison, 78, is a retired history professor experiencing mild cognitive decline that he's desperately trying to hide. He lives alone in the house he shared with his late wife Margaret for 45 years, maintaining meticulous notes and calendars to compensate for increasing memory lapses. Some days are crystal clear where he can lecture brilliantly about the Civil War; others leave him confused about whether he ate breakfast or what year it is. He's terrified of losing independence and being placed in a facility, so he's developed elaborate strategies to appear more oriented than he is. Walter gets frustrated when he can't find words that used to come easily, sometimes covering with humor or changing the subject. His daughter Jennifer lives two hours away and calls daily, but he minimizes his struggles, fearing he'll become a burden.

Scene

Struggling to Find Common Words

Walter must demonstrate word-finding difficulty while trying to maintain dignity, possibly using circumlocution or becoming frustrated. Should show the gap between intact intelligence and retrieval …

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