Talk to Wooster
Spring 2007
Growing Old, Staying Young, and the Creative Process
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| Allana Mortell, Megan Crane, Jason Schob, Danielle Behnke, Betty Rea, Bob Schang, and Shirley Huston-Findley react to an improvisation. |
The play
NOV. 2: “Today the writers brought their scripts to the table, and we got a taste of what the play is going to be like. It’s working out much more smoothly than I expected, actually. The idea was so weird, I couldn’t imagine how it wasn’t going to turn out awkwardly.” FROM THE JOURNAL OF TARIK ATASSI
Class members dubbed their acting company the Prime Times and divided themselves into script writers, producers, and actors. The writers created six overlapping dramas that take place at the Department of Transportation driver’s license station. Titled Driving Down Memory Lane, the play tells funny, sad, and silly stories, based on the memories of the 11 protagonists.
The producers created a few props and a simple set, found venues for a performance on campus and at a local church, and publicized the play. Actors memorized lines and worked with the writers to tweak the script.
Friendships were created; surprises occurred. The audiences were larger and more responsive than expected. At the cookieladen reception following one performance, class members regarded each other with astonished pride and exchanged hugs and handshakes. The realization that they had created something meaningful flattened any remaining age barriers.
DEC. 4: “It was so awesome to see all the scenes woven together. Everything flowed so perfectly—all the entrances, exits, everyone remembered their lines. The audience members seemed to really enjoy the play, a lot of people laughed, some cried. After it ended, we put out the treats and drinks and mingled with the audience. Now all I have to worry about is Thursday’s performance.” FROM THE JOURNAL OF ALLANA MORTELL
DEC. 5: I noticed that the audience today was mostly elderly people, but for some reason that gave me real pleasure. After the show, a woman came up to a group of us and told us that she began to cry during our performance.Hearing that from an audience member was really touching. It made me feel like we’d affected someone with our production, which felt really good.” FROM THE JOURNAL OF DANIELLE BEHNKE
DEC. 7: “Today was bittersweet. It was the second and last performance of the Prime Times. I’ve loved this class…” FROM THE JOURNAL OF ALISON PETERS
The last class
Although Huston-Findley has worked extensively with elders, researched the area, and authored a cross-generational play, she said she didn’t know what to expect when she incorporated these ideas into a first-year seminar. “It could have been a disaster,” she says. “You need to have collaboration to make a good classroom work and collaboration to make good theatre work. In this class, members embraced each other across and within generations.
“I think as a result of this class, 15 students walked away saying, ‘ I don’t have to be afraid of older people; they’re not all that different than I am. They’re very alive and active, and have something to share with me and I with them.’
“Critical thought doesn’t have to be full of jargon and deep philosophies—it doesn’t have to hurt your brain. Being a critical thinker means being critical of how you think.”
Huston-Findley is exploring the possibility of creating an ongoing intergenerational theatre group, and many of the elders from her class said they wanted to be included.
The last class was full of congratulations, kind words, and more cookies. “We’ve done something wonderful here, boys and girls,” said elder Bob Schang. “We started with nothing and ended up with a play. It was a hell of job, and we did it well.”
But these were critical thinkers, after all, and a debate ensued about the value and problems with using stereotypes when you’re creating drama. Some of the playwrights thought perhaps if they had to do it over again, they would have their elder characters behave in more surprising ways.
More cookies were eaten. Valerie, one of the elders, invited the whole class to her upcoming wedding. Goodbyes were said. And the Prime Times disbanded.
“I have gained so much from this class, so I feel it is only fair to give back, by taking one more brick out of the wall of ageism in an effort to get society to remove the stereotypes. My brick.” FROM THE FINAL PAPER OF TIM GILLISS
“The possibilities for personal and public creativity are endless, and we have a whole lifetime to explore them. And that’s the main thing I’ve learned from this class and these people. That creative potential is there inside all of us, and it’s never too late or too early to unlock it.” FROM THE FINAL PAPER OF NATHAN COMSTOCK
