Ken Lamothe clearly appreciates Bruce Graham's plays. Lamothe directed Graham's "Moon over the Brewery" for the Norwich-based Chelsea Players not long ago, and he's now helming "The Outgoing Tide."

Lamothe was taken by the latter's richly drawn characters and its exploration of a disease that affects so many families. That illness is Alzheimer's.

In the drama that's shot through with dark humor, a family struggles with a father's diagnosis with Alzheimer's. That father is Gunner (played by Richard Weingart of Franklin), a proud man whose thoughts on how to approach the future don't jibe with those of his wife (Helen Cronin of Westerly) and grown son (Sean Flaherty of Norwich). "The Outgoing Tide" moves between past and present, providing a view of the father and son's fraught relationship.

Chelsea Players is presenting "The Outgoing Tide" in conjunction with Norwich Arts Center at the center's Donald L. Oat Theater this weekend and next.

"The Outgoing Tide," Donald L. Oat Theater, 62 Broadway, Norwich; opens Fri. and runs through May 28; shows at 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat.; $10 in advance, $12 at the door, $10 for seniors; (860) 887-7289 or email klamothe37@gmail.com.