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Senior Theatre

Work created by and for older adults is known as “senior theatre,” and work in this section explores this relatively burgeoning field. Start with this 2015 series Senior Theatre, which explores a variety of makers and practices.

The Latest

Elder Dramaturgy
Essay
Elder Dramaturgy
by Carlyle Brown
7 March 2023
RosenKabarett Anniversary Performance
Video
RosenKabarett Anniversary Performance
by 4th Age Community Arts Center in Bucharest, Romania
Wednesday 18 September 2019
Bucharest, Romania
Caregivers on Stage
Essay
Caregivers on Stage
Mary Jane, The Treasurer, The Cost of Living
by Jonathan Mandell
5 October 2017
Four senior actors stand on-stage and look at their scripts during a rehearsal.
Elder Dramaturgy
Essay

Elder Dramaturgy

7 March 2023

Playwright Carlyle Brown describes his journey with the play We Take Care of Our Own by Zainabu Jallo, detailing the joys and challenges that come from work featuring characters in their eighties and nineties.

illustrations of elderly artists with the text that says RosenKabarett
RosenKabarett Anniversary Performance
Video

RosenKabarett Anniversary Performance

by 4th Age Community Arts Center in Bucharest, Romania

Wednesday 18 September 2019
Bucharest, Romania

4th Age Community Arts Center presented the RosenKabarett Anniversary Performance livestreaming from Bucharest, Romania on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Wednesday 18 September at 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 16:00 UTC +0 / 5 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2) / 19:00 EEST (Bucharest, UTC +3).

Caregivers on Stage
Essay

Caregivers on Stage

Mary Jane, The Treasurer, The Cost of Living

5 October 2017

Jonathan Mandell looks at three plays about caregiving on stage recently in New York.

The Living Stage
Essay

The Living Stage

Building Possibility in the Age of Climate Change

18 September 2017

In the second installment of this series, Lanxing Fu discusses The Living Stage NYC, an intergenerational collaboration between Superhero Clubhouse and the community of Meltzer Towers.

We’re Not Done
Essay

We’re Not Done

Creating Ensemble Theatre and Community with Senior Citizens

19 August 2017

Ash Marinaccio shares her experience working with seniors through a four-month residency with the Queens Theatre in New York City.

Performance of Temporary Residence
Video

Performance of Temporary Residence

Thursday 20 April 2017
Bucharest, Romania

MACAZ - Theatre Coop in Bucharest, Romania presented a performance of Temporary Residence livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday 20 April at 19:00 EEST (UTC+3 Bucharest) / 18:00 CEST (UTC+2 Berlin) / 5:00 p.m. BST (UTC+1 London) / 16:00 GMT (UTC+0) / 12:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4 New York) / 9:00 a.m. PDT (UTC-7 Los Angeles). On Twitter, follow @howlroundtv for updates and use #howlround

The Father
Essay

The Father

How Scene is Set by Stage

5 April 2016

Rhiannon D’Averc on The Father by Florian Zeller, playing in London’s West End.

Dancing is About Moving
Essay

Dancing is About Moving

19 December 2015

Maria Genné discusses the philosophy of Kairos! Alive and its community work with youth and the elderly.

An Interview with Arthur Keyser, Playwright
Essay

An Interview with Arthur Keyser, Playwright

18 December 2015

Lynn Mullin interviews playwright Arthur Keyser about his journey to playwriting and his process.

“If any of you drop dead before the next performance, I’ll kill you!”
Essay

“If any of you drop dead before the next performance, I’ll kill you!”

Interview with Robb Hutter on Working With Seniors in Retirement Communities

17 December 2015

Henrik Eger interviews Robb Hutter about his work with Philly Senior Stage. 

Learning to Love
Essay

Learning to Love

Crossing the Generational Divide

16 December 2015

Chief Operating Officer Maureen Kellen-Thomas discusses EngAGE’s Mentoring theatre program that pairs senior citizens with high school students. 

Reminiscence Theatre
Essay

Reminiscence Theatre

15 December 2015

Antoinette Ford writes about the work of Double Nickels Theatre Company, and the power of Reminiscence Theatre.

An Interview with Bonnie Vorenberg, Founder of the Senior Theatre Resource Center and President of ArtAge Publications
Essay

An Interview with Bonnie Vorenberg, Founder of the Senior Theatre Resource Center and President of ArtAge Publications

14 December 2015

Lynn Mullin interviews Bonnie Vorenberg about her role with Senior Theatre Resource Center and her passion for working with seniors.

Aging and Theatre
Essay

Aging and Theatre

A Call to Action

13 December 2015

Lynn Mullin kicks off this week’s series on Senior Theatre by discussing the changing age demographics in the US, and how theatre can have a part in enriching older adults’ quality of life.

The FAQs of Senior Theatre, Answered by Past Prime Players
Essay

The FAQs of Senior Theatre, Answered by Past Prime Players

13 December 2015

Monciella Elder, director of Past Prime Players, answers some common questions about Senior Theatre.

Senior Theatre
Series

Senior Theatre

An exploration of the role of the elderly in the practice of American theatremaking.