Avery Cheeseman, arts and culture editor

At the beginning of March, the Foss studio theater saw a two-run production of “5 More Minutes,” a one-act play written by and starring actress Joy Dolo and Augsburg Adjunct Professor Luverne Seifert, developed by Sod House Theater and in collaboration with the Minnesota Board of Aging. The show follows an elderly couple, Don and Myrna, as they go on imaginary vacations, or “imagications,” until the boundaries between real life and fiction begin to blur for one of them, and they must cope with these changes.

The discussion around dementia and other progressive neurodegenerative conditions can be a really hard conversation for anyone to have, especially if they have loved ones battling these conditions. About 10% of adults in the United States aged 65 and above have dementia. That’s close to 7 million people as of 2025. Even though discussions about these sorts of diseases are really challenging, they are still vitally important to have, and Seifert understands the need for these discussions. 

This show serves as a crack in the doorway to having deeper discussions about dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. This production facilitates discussion around dementia and its associated symptoms. According to Seifert, “We want families to say, ‘Well, you know Maggie has been kind of forgetful lately,’ and is it just like they say a ‘senior moment,’ or, you know, like is it getting worse?” To Seifert, these kinds of evaluations are super important for folks with loved ones who are experiencing dementia symptoms to have. 

A big reason why these sorts of conversations are so important is that time is of the utmost value in this situation. Seifert directly addresses this in his interview with me when he states that “there are medications that can really help with the disease, but once it gets too far along, then the medications are less effective. So, by having these conversations earlier, they’re able to get medical help at the early stages rather than at the later stages.” To Seifert, this is a big reason why performing this production and taking it to different places is so very important. Time can truly save lives for those dealing with early dementia symptoms. 

To help aid in these discussions, healthcare professionals were brought in to answer questions after earlier runs of the show. Seifert mentions that “after the performances that we did, we always had a person, a nurse or a social worker who came and talked.” When many people had questions, these healthcare workers were able to correctly address them. These healthcare workers were also able to give resources and pamphlets to people who wanted them in the audience. 

This show is a tangible hand being reached out to people who may be dealing with a loved one with dementia. A really big part of the show is its accessibility. This is a show that is meant to be accessible and tour-able because of the importance of its content. It does a fantastic job of humanizing people with dementia and showing folks the rich lives that they live before the disease really takes hold. Humanizing people with dementia and creating an open dialogue with their family and loved ones is such a big endeavor to take on within a show, but “5 More Minutes” does this with the exact professionalism, empathy and care needed for such a heavy subject.