Synkroniciti is thrilled to announce the winner of our “Patterns” Short Play Contest, Cyndy A. Marion with “Dirty Laundry.” We received a number of intriguing plays and hope to feature several in the future. The runner-up was Don Narkevic’s “til Death.” We selected “Dirty Laundry” because of its moving and human portrayal of a mother, Louisa, and daughter, Chris, going through the ordeal of Louisa’s dementia and loss of independence. This is a subject that is often ignored because it’s uncomfortable, but Cyndy approaches it with tenderness, gentle humor, and vulnerability.
There are so many details here that ring true. The dogged insistence on independence despite an inability to take care of daily tasks, the childlike susceptibility to phishing and fantasy, the baffling impulse to give away food. There’s even a moment when Louisa asks for help with the printer–although many of us experience that without dementia. The point is that every day annoyances become major breaking points for those with dementia and their caregivers. If you’ve ever been a caregiver for someone with severe cognitive decline, you will recognize many of these patterns. It’s comforting to know we are not alone.
I’ll have more details and an excerpt in Cyndy’s Artist Feature in 2026.
You can read “Dirty Laundry” in Synkroniciti’s “Patterns” issue, available for pre-order here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/. The issue debuts December 15th.
Cyndy A. Marion’s plays include: Broken Story (produced in NYC and LA and published by Off the Wall Plays), You Are Perfect (produced in NYC, Toronto, LA and Danville, IL), Thistles (Produced at NYC’s 59E59 Theaters; upcoming November 2026 west-coast premiere at Theatre 68 in North Hollywood), The Edge (staged reading at Queen of Rogues, Woodstock, NY) and Dirty Laundry (winner of Synkroniciti magazine’s “Patterns” short play contest).
Cyndy is the Producing Artistic Director of NYC’s White Horse Theater Company for which she has directed, produced and developed numerous plays. She is currently co-writing a new musical, NEWARK, with Helen Hayes award-winning composer Nygel D. Robinson. BA Davidson College, MFA in Directing Brooklyn College, member: SDC, Dramatists Guild, WGGB & The Players.