Los Alamos resident David Brown, along with his friend and caretaker Anna Yarrow, take a stroll Monday afternoon around Ashley Pond. Yarrow wrote a play she titled, ‘The World Beautiful’ to commemorate her friendship with Brown. The play will be performed Sunday at SALA. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Los Alamos resident Anna Yarrow created a multi-media play, “The World Beautiful” that will be performed at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18 at SALA Event Center.

The show will also be livestreamed.

The show incorporates a lot of Yarrow’s interests and loves: writing, photography and her longtime friendship with David Brown, aka “The Mountaineer”.

Brown and Yarrow met each other when Brown’s son was seeking a hiking companion and caretaker for his father. From this sparked a 5-and-a-half-year friendship.

The play commemorates this friendship. Yarrow portrays herself while professional actor Don Converse performs as Brown. The show is divided into four seasons while the actors are on stage. Yarrow’s photographs will be projected, and live music will be featured. It’s directed by Christine McHugh.

Yarrow encourages people to attend the show because it is a home-grown Los Alamos creation.

“We live here in Los Alamos,” she said. “I wrote the play here and I’m excited to share it in the place it was created.”

“The World Beautiful” had three performances last October at Teatro Paraguas in Santa Fe.

When Yarrow asked Brown about writing a play based on their friendship, she said, “he was pretty surprised.”

“…I never thought anyone would write a play about me,” Brown said.

After watching the Santa Fe performance, Brown gives it a positive review.

“It’s fine,” he said. “It seems real.”

The play started out as Facebook posts that Yarrow wrote. She had 400 pages of material to work with and narrowed it down to 60 pages for the script.

Yarrow and Brown have experienced a lot together. For instance, they got stuck on ice while hiking in Acid Canyon and ended up having to call 911 to be rescued. Earlier this month, Yarrow helped Brown, who is 93 years old, ski in his neighborhood.

Through it all, they both said they enjoy each other’s company.

“You’re easy to talk to,” Brown told Yarrow.

“David’s needs and wants are very clear,” Yarrow said. “He gets so happy when he is doing what he loves. He knows himself well and knows what makes him happy and it’s a pleasure to help him …”

The great outdoors is one of Brown’s biggest loves. His other caretaker, Charles Hoy of Santa Fe, mentioned Brown has hiked all over the world and climbed all the fourteeners in Colorado.

Brown’s passion for the outdoors is so great that Yarrow said he has told her if he collapses on the trail, she is to resuscitate him so he can reach the summit. If he is already at the summit, then just let him go.

As for Yarrow, she is pursuing two degrees from the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos; Emergency Medical Services and Liberal Arts.

She has a background in the performing arts. Yarrow said she did theater as a child and teenager and in her 20s she got involved in musicals.

“Returning to theater has been fun,” Yarrow said.

“Making ‘The World Beautiful’ was a fun challenge. I love that it’s a true story.”

The effort paid off; Yarrow said, “Probably one of the best experiences of my life was performing it in Santa Fe.”

Hoy gave it a rave review.

“It was wonderful,” he said. “It is really touching. Their relationship is very special. It really touches your heart.”

Tickets for “The World Beautiful” can be purchased at https://sala.losalamos.com/events/the-world-beautiful/. In-person tickets cost $15 and the livestream admission fee is $5.

Several photographs featured in Anna Yarrow’s play, ‘The World Beautiful’. Photos by Anna Yarrow