Bonnie's Column

It's never to late to share your love of theatre.

Recently, I had a wonderful conversation with Bridget Whiteman, a Life Enrichment Coordinator, about her Senior Theatre. At one point, she paused, took a breath, and said, “I have been working with seniors for 21 years, and Readers Theatre is by far the best thing I've ever experienced!”

Bridget told me their Senior Theatre program all started with Maxey Megrue. “Miss Maxey was the ring leader. During the pandemic, her creative and wild spirit needed an outlet, and she wanted desperately to bring joy to her peers."

I needed to meet this woman! So I called Maxey and we had a delightful conversation. I learned about her theatre experience with the Spokane Civic Theatre as an actor, director, and board member. I wasn't surprised to hear that when she moved to the retirement community, she combined her need for a challenge with her love for theatre. Maxey's enthusiasm carried the group through the pandemic. Now with Bridget's support, the group has 14 committed members and packed houses at every performance.

This has been a marvelous win for everyone -- the participants, the audience, and the supporters. It's no wonder that Bridget says, “It is the most popular thing we do!"

President, ArtAge Publications
The Senior Theatre Resource Center

Theatre keeps us alive. The fun and laughs are there, but the actors really want a creative outlet and to learn. We all gain so much from our Readers Theatre group!
— Maxey Megrue

from

Bridget Whiteman

Life Enrichment Coordinator

1. Listen to the actors, listen to the audience.

2. Support by being available for anything, anytime.

3. Encourage actors and the audience to step out of their comfort zones.

4. Promote! I can’t say it enough. Promote and get people talking.

5. Love your actors, love their passions, and all will fall into place.

Spring Sale
Spring brings renewal!
To help your Senior Theatre group to re-start or re-energize, we
are offering $5 off some of our favorite resources.

One of our favorite teaching tools is The Improv Game. Whether we're teaching a class or in rehearsal, we always have it hand for when we need a creative spark. It's very useful for re-energizing a group after taking time off during the pandemic.
Play collections are a great way to find scripts that work well together. Here are 3 that every Senior Theatre library must have:
- New Plays for Mature Actors: 10 plays with up-to-date, fun to portray characters.
- Short Plays by the Dozen: 12 enjoyable and clever plays, written by Arthur Keyser.
- AGELESS! 11 Short Plays Celebrating Seniors: Award-winning plays that take the high road of humor.
$5 off these select e-Scripts by featured playwright, Linda LaRocque. Linda's scripts have great dialogue, wonderful heart, and often an unexpected twist. They strike a perfect balance between funny and smart.
- Love's Language: 10 minutes, 1 man, 1 woman. A play about the value of communication in relationships, especially proof-reading.
- Old Men: 10 minutes, 2 men, 1 woman. Strong friendships can weather a variety of stressors, including a muskrat on a mission.
- Housekeeper Wanted: 15 minutes, 1 man, 4 women. Never underestimate Dad, especially when it comes to finding a housekeeper.

Our Plays are Being Performed!
Senior Theatre momentum continues to grow this month with more older actors moving their activities from online to in-person performances. What a relief! Here are some of the shows that have been popular with actors and audiences.

Old Hams - A huge hit from coast to coast!
Audience members in both Florida and California are raving about the excellent roles in this really funny play. The theatre group in California had exceptional success with the show. After the first evening performance, the ticket seller's phone rang off the hook. They sold an additional 100 tickets for the final three performances! "We certainly recommend this show to groups that want to be entertained and to have their audience leave the theatre smiling! As a director, it was a real hoot!" -- Jan B., Director

It's no tall tale that the updated versions of the Three Little Pigs, and Little Red Riding Hood (both found in Feeble Fables) were a huge hit with audiences in Virginia.
Next time Floridians take to the friendly skies, they'll remember how much fun they had watching the performance of The Journey, included in Age on Stage Comedies for Readers Theatre Volume 2.
The title of The Naked Man on the Couch got the attention of audiences in North Carolina, but what they really remember is the play's message about the value of women's friendships.
Etta and Ida at Starbucks was a "grande" hit in Connecticut.
The performances of The Day the Kidnapped Blanche (pictured below) got standing ovations in Texas.

Our Catalog

Something for everyone!

Our website featurest the most up to date Senior Theatre information.
The site is complete with plays, books, "Who's Who in Senior Theatre," plus news, trends, and FreeViews of the plays. Discover how to tie short shows together with our many plays on a theme.

Explore our new interactive catalog.
If you'd like a hard copy, click here to let us know!

The largest collection of plays, books, materials, and information for older performers.

Contact us at:

PO Box 19955, Portland OR 97280
503-246-3000 or 800-858-4998
bonniev@seniortheatre.com www.seniortheatre.com