How To Disappear Completely
A lighting designer illuminates his mother’s passing in a brave and intimate work of theatre.
In September 2000, Vancouver-based lighting designer Itai Erdal received a phone call telling him his mother had nine months to live. He promptly travelled home to spend every moment he could with his dying mother.
During that time, he shot hours of film and hundreds of pictures, documenting the final nine months of her life. In this deeply profound, surprisingly funny, and critically acclaimed work, Erdal demonstrates his approach to theatrical lighting while also reflecting on events that followed his mother asking him to take her life. This piece pairs the power of Erdal’s storytelling with the nuanced potency of stage lighting.
Mery Erdal’s vibrant personality shines through the work—the strong bond she had with her son and her dignity and grace in her final days.
How to Disappear Completely returns home to Vancouver after 25 productions, earning critical acclaim and multiple awards across the globe.
