Mayo Clinic Hospice Presents End-of-Life: Live and Unscripted

In honor of Hospice and Palliative Care Month, Mayo Clinic Hospice in collaboration with Danger Boat Productions, and the Mayo Clinic Dolores Jean Lavins Center for Humanities in Medicine, invites the community to attend the End-of-Life: Live and Unscripted. The event will be held at Rochester Art Center, on November 18, 2026, from 6:30-8 PM, with doors opening at 6:15 PM.  

Planning for the last chapter of our lives can be an intimidating prospect. This unique improv show aims to bring the community together for an evening of laughter and learning around a conversation we know we all need to have. End of Life: Live and Unscripted helps break the ice, creating a safe space for people to share their hopes, fears, and questions in facilitated small group conversations. 

Then, Danger Boat Production’s skilled performers take the stage, bringing life to attendees’ thoughts on advanced care planning, end-of-life care considerations, having “the talk” with family, and how to best support our community.  

Finally, a panel of subject matter experts take the stage to give thoughtful answers and responses to the conversations and further audience questions. 

Attendees will gain insights into advanced care planning, important end-of-life care considerations, and ways to support the community during end-of-life stages. Thanks to the generous support of Mayo Clinic’s Dolores Jean Lavins Center for Humanities in Medicine, the show is offered at no cost to attendees and can be reserved here: https://form.jotform.com/262525868815166

Amy Stelpflug, Volunteer Coordinator at Mayo Clinic Hospice, shares, “I hope this event inspires people to talk about their final wishes and document them legally so they can be honored. I also hope it encourages others to volunteer. Our volunteers are essential; they provide companionship, animal-assisted support, Veteran-to-Veteran connections, grief group facilitation, respite for patients, and office support.”

The event promises to be both educational and entertaining, with Danger Boat Productions facilitating engaging conversations through improv and dialogue with subject matter experts. While the show will not make fun of death or grief, it will humorously address our general avoidance of the topic.

Guests are invited to arrive early at 5:30pm to experience "In Loving, In Loss", an art installation by Olivia Mulvey Morawiecki in the gallery. Commissioned by The Compassion Museum, this moving piece explores the profound experience of loss and grief, honoring it as an inevitable and universal part of life. It invites us to reflect on love, memory, and our connections, awakening a deep sense of compassion for ourselves and others who have been touched by love and loss. Learn more about the exhibition: https://www.rochesterartcenter.org/exhibition/in-loving-in-loss

Join us for an evening that promises to be enlightening and inspiring. We hope to see you there to learn more about these important topics and be motivated to serve the community.

Image: Olivia Mulvey Morawiecki, Chimes of love, In Loving, In Loss, 2025, cedar, steel, windchimes and string, 8 feet x 10 feet. Photo by Meaghan Engeseth.