Jen Bosworth uses comedy to make others comfortable with a not-so-funny subject: death. After serving as her seriously ill mother’s primary caregiver, Bosworth incorporated her experiences into “Why Not Me…Love, Cancer and Jack White.”

She spoke with Life Matters Media about her one-woman show and her upcoming collaboration with Life Matters Media.

What is ‘Why Not Me’ about?

It’s a show about celebrating life, and it’s also about seeing the beauty and tragedy when someone approaches the end of their life. It’s about taking opportunities to talk with our loved ones about it.

I’m a comedian, and the show’s definitely not a bummer– it’s been called a triumph and hysterical. It’s a comedy about cancer, end of life, among other things.

What inspired you to write and perform this show?

I was my mom’s primary caregiver. In 2010, metastatic breast cancer came back and spread into her lungs. I made a conscious decision that I would put my life on hold to be with her and take care of her. During those 18 months, I started writing down my thoughts and feelings, even funny anecdotes we had together. After she passed away in 2011, I had a friend approach me and tell me I needed to make a show.

Three days before my mom passed away, she called me over and she said, ‘Look, I know you’re an artist and I want you to promise me that you’ll pursue that.’ It was sort of her dying wish.

How does it feel honoring your mother through your show?

It feels amazing. My mom was a Colombian immigrant, and she was really direct, assertive and funny. The law around my house growing up was that you do what mom says. I think towards the end of her life she realized I could help people through comedy.

How does the musician Jack White come into the play?

I’m not a huge music buff, I didn’t really even know who the White Stripes or Jack White was. But I began to have these vivid, reoccurring dreams about him. I don’t know how it got implanted.

Now looking back, it was sort of my escape from the hardships and tragedy of what cancer was doing to my mom. It was like a fantasy life that I created at night in my dreams to cope. You know, I’m happily married, I have a wonderful husband, but I started to have this bizarre nocturnal relationship.

I didn’t tell anyone, but now I think it’s important to share because when you go through something horrible there needs to be an escape. His music was my escape.

Once my mom passed, those Jack White dreams stopped. It could have been anybody, it could have been David Hasselhoff from Knight Rider, Paul Newman or Brad Pitt. The show really flatters Jack White, I hope he knows about it.

What inspired you to partner with LMM?

I have strong, warm and passionate feelings for Life Matters Media, and that is why I wanted to partner for the August 1 show. On the local, national and even international level, Life Matters helps get conversations about the end of life started. When I was thinking about working with nonprofits, Life Matters was one of the first organizations I thought of.