The local NPR radio station in New York, WNYC, just interviewed three people involved in a revival of Clifford Odet’s 1937 play, “Golden Boy.” The play focuses on a young man who is talented at the violin and dreams of pursuing a musical career, while at the same time a boxing promoter wants the young man to take up boxing, which might permanently damage his hands.
The play’s revival is going to add Parkinson’s disease into the mix.
If you click here (click!), you can listen to the entire 20-minute WNYC segment, where radio host Leonard Lopate interviews actor Alex Montaldo, who stars in the show; his wife Dr. Roberta Marongiu Montaldo, assistant professor in neurosurgery at Weill Cornell Medicine; and Ron Shetler, another actor in the show who has PD.
Alex and Roberta started a nonprofit called stoPD, which supports people living with Parkinson’s. Its origin was Rock Steady boxing, but it is expanding into other areas.
As I listened to the radio interview, I took the following notes. In most cases I’m paraphrasing, not quoting directly, and overall the following bullets appear disjointed, even though they follow the timeline of what was discussed in the interview….
- Q: Can boxing slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease? A: Definitely.
- Roberta: We know how boxing can help motor symptoms very well, also memory and other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
- Alex: I really want to do both: Boxing and yoga. You should do all kinds of exercise, because your body will respond much better.
- Alex: We started out with Rock Steady, but then developed our own techniques.
- Ron, on how acting benefits people with PD: You have to memorize your lines, move on stage according to the director’s instructions. It helps stabilize your body, and forces you to think of your lines in advance.
- Q: So PD affects memory as well? A: Yes.
- Roberta: It also affects your autonomic function, like your digestion.
- Alex: Running, swimming, and lifting weights can also help, but you need to be supervised correctly. You have to push yourself but also have a trainer with experience with PD.
- Ron: I also ride a bike, do yoga, work out with punching bags, do squats and balance exercises.
- Q: Do you see improvement? Alex: Oh, yes. It works in the gym as well as outside.
- Alex: Parkinson’s is not as bad as many people think it is.
- Ron: It doesn’t kill you – it’s other things that break down because you’re not moving.
- Roberta: We are developing a theater program tailored exclusively for people with PD, in NY and LA.
- Roberta: stop-PD.org is our official website.
- Ron: Boxing reversed things both physically and psychologically for me.
- Roberta: Studies have measured the benefits of boxing on PD, but they are small studies only.
- Ron and Alex: There’s a stigma that goes with PD. When you’re dealing with PD, it can seem larger than yourself. I found power when I embraced it and said, “I’ve got it.” I told everyone. Psychologically you feel impaired and disabled. A lot of the stigma is projection: You look at yourself and you think of yourself as someone who’s shaken. Your entire identity is taken over. It doesn’t have to be that way.
If you’re in the NY area and want to see the show, click here for more info: click!
