Dayna Steele’s “The Woman in the Mirror”

Dayna Steele’s “The Woman in the Mirror” Makes Its West Coast Premiere in Palm Springs
March 8 – 31

“It’s charming, oddly inviting, and a love letter to an often-unsung group of people: caregivers” (Houston Press)

THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR explores Steele’s experience of her mother’s Alzheimer’s in a comic tour-de-force based on her best-selling book, Surviving Alzheimer’s with Friends, Facebook, and a Really Big Glass of Wine.

21 February 2024 – PALM SPRINGS, CA:  Sometimes it’s hard to face Facebook when your mother can’t remember your face. What’s a loving rock-and-roll DJ daughter to do? In Dayna Steele’s tour de force, THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR, the audience is invited to laugh, cry, and nod with recognition and hope at an issue that has become all-to-real in the lives of many Americans: Alzheimer’s. Based on Steele’s critically acclaimed best-selling book Surviving Alzheimer’s with Friends, Facebook, and a Really Big Glass of Wine, THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR is “a love letter to an often-unsung group of people: caregivers” (Houston Press). The play has its West Coast Premiere, March 8 – 31 at the Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs (611 S Palm Canyon Drive). The production is directed by Laura Stearns who is  known for her twelve years with the acclaimed Guthrie Theatre of Minneapolis. The role of JO is played by Rebecca McWilliams

“I want caregivers to know they’re not alone in this crazy journey, and it’s okay to laugh,” says Steele, whose mother passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2015..“Palm Springs is well and rightly known as, perhaps, the country’s greatest care-giving community. The lessons of Alzheimer’s, and the experiences of aging with and caring for a loved one make this area the perfect spot for The Woman in the Mirror’s West Coast premiere.”

Steele takes audiences on an inspirational journey filled with laughter, wit, and the resilience required when facing extraordinary and unexpected circumstances. When her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013, Steele began posting online, detailing the family’s alarming— sometimes humorous—struggles, turning it into a therapeutic community of support and information encompassing thousands of followers. Steele’s refreshing honesty, laced with biting humor, is a beacon of strength and resiliency. Her play is not only a theatrical triumph but also a living on-stage caregiver’s manual.

“THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR is certainly not meant to be a preachy guide on how one should deal with a loved one’s deteriorating health and capacity,” says Steele, 64. “However, my hope is that it does give everyone living through this permission to laugh and learn.

A native of Houston, Texas, Dayna graduated from Dulles High School at the tender age of 16 and immediately enrolled at Texas A&M University as a pre-med student.

“It wasn’t a fit,” laughs Steele, who quickly changed her major to theatre.  “Although the fascination with medicine came in handy in taking care of my mom, and in preparing my book and for writing this production.”

On a dare, Dayna tried out for the new student-run radio station at Texas A&M University. She began her career in 1977 at KAMU, and after a few months, moved to Top 40 WTAW (“92W” 92.1FM) in Bryan, Texas. In 1978, she left Texas A&M University early to pursue her career as a major-market radio disc jockey. Dayna’s first big break came just after she turned 18 and began working at KRLY (Y94) in Houston. Over the next twenty years, Dayna Steele became synonymous with Houston radio, lending her voice to CHR/Top 40 104 KRBE (1979-1981), 97 Rock (KSRR) (1981-1982), and AOR rocker 101 KLOL where she became known as “The First Lady of Rock ‘n Roll.” Steele was featured as one of the top female disc jockeys in the country on the Friday Morning Quarterback “Women of Rock.” That next year, Steele was nominated as Radio Air Personality of the Year by Billboard Magazine. Of the five nominees, Steele was the only woman to be nominated. In 2010, Steele was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. 

THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR runs March 8-31 (Fridays, 2pm; Saturdays, 7:30pm; Sundays, 5:30pm; Tuesdays, 7pm; Wednesdays, 2pm). Ticket prices: $25 and $35 with a $45 VIP Meet & Greet with a really big glass of wine. Previews for the show are Friday, March 8 at 2pm and Saturday, March 9 at 7:30pm (all seats $20). Tickets are on sale at www.revolutionstagecompany.com or by phone at (760) 318-4115. Revolution Stage Company is located at 611 S Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs (near Revivals).