Programs for Seniors
THEATER and DRAMA
Improvisation and Theater Games
Seniors and elders are experienced veterans of life with much to offer and share, but often little opportunity to do so. Participation in improvisational theater allows seniors to play and act out real life situations and share their unique perspectives with others. Fun, educational and a kickstart for the imagination the class promotes social engagement, builds confidence and self-esteem, improves short- and long-term memory, stimulates thinking, increases the use of the body, mind, imagination and the voice, promotes creativity and encourages a more playful, positive attitude. Exercises and games are adapted to fit different abilities. No experience required.
Mind, Body, Voice and Heart We ALL want to be listened to and acknowledged. But sometimes we are not heard. Perhaps it's because the person we’re speaking to has a hearing problem or maybe it’s because we mumble our words and don’t speak clearly or loudly enough. Or perhaps it's both. As we get older, it takes more effort and energy to speak. That’s because speaking is a muscular activity that involves the lips, the tongue, the throat, and the diaphragm (the muscle we use for breathing), And as with all muscles, we need to “use it or lose it.” In this engaging class, participants do breathing and vocal warm-ups, exercises, fun activities and read poetry and prose aloud to improve their vocal quality, voice projection and diction. This is a process-oriented class, but can also be adapted to include a culminating performance for an audience.
Writing and Performing Readers Theater Plays Participants will write and perform short readers theater plays about issues and themes that are relevant to their own lives. The performance of the Readers Theater play can include a post-show discussion.
The Play Club, a Theater Book Club Here is a new twist on the old book club. In this Play Club, participants will read classic and contemporary plays, or selections from plays, from such playwrights as Arthur Miller, Neil Simon, Tennessee Williams, etc. and then discuss them. And for those who like to act, there are opportunities to act out selections from the plays. Truly a mind, body, emotion and voice experience!
Read Aloud & Discuss The artistry, issues and themes of plays, poems and essays are often better appreciated and understood when read aloud and shared. In this class, we will read short works and discuss the themes and issues, sharing our points-of-view with one another.
The Drama of Shakespeare Shakespeare's plays have been performed throughout the world for more than 400 years because they provide insight into universal and timeless themes of the human condition that still resonate for us today: Life, death, love, power, family, marriage, friendship, nature, art. Using excerpts from Shakespeare's plays, particpants explore how actors and directors use both verbal and non-verbal acting techniques to bring plays to life and how these strategies can help them demystify the language, inhabit the imaginary world of the play, and connect to the themes, the dramatic situation, characters, setting, and time period.
CREATIVE MOVEMENT and DANCE
Dance to Enhance Your Life Studies have shown that "movement is medicine" and will improve our overall health and quality of life. This is a gentle, interactive, stress-free, "feel good" class that includes a slow, centering warmup section, dance and creative movement and a cool-down. Warm-ups are both seated and standing and participants moving according to their own range of motion, loosening stiff muscles and joints for flexibility, balance and the joy of movement. The music is fabulous, rhythmical and diverse from various genres and participants will leave feeling calm, joyful, energized and ready for the rest of their day. Inspired by yoga, qi gong, modern dance, jazz dance and African dance, the class builds flexibility, ease, endurance and cardiovascular fitness and is for people of all levels and abilities. No prior dance experience is necessary.
INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS
Life Maps, Memoirs and Monologues This class combines visual art, writing and drama. Participants will create a visual graphic Life Map of key meaningful events in their lives as a collage, using line, color, form and texture. Then they will choose one of these events and write a short memoir, which can also be performed as a monologue.
Creative Rites of Passage Using the lens of creative drama, creative movement, writing, discussion, the visual arts and creative play, we tap into different perspectives as we explore, celebrate, make meaning and find common ground in our universal human experiences.
Programs for Seniors are ideal for senior centers, senior residences, libraries, hospitals, conferences and retreats and can be designed to suit the needs and abilites of participants. Contact me for more information.
