In 2007, Charlie Parker, who was well known by those involved with the local music and theater scene at the time, became the first director of a group called “Seniors Acting Up” at St. Clair Senior Center. Parker wrote an assortment of witty scripts filled with his snarky humor which began as table readings every Thursday by whoever showed up. Parker has moved away, but the group continues and it has grown a lot since its beginning.
Composed of actors, directors, and crew all over the age of 60, Seniors Acting Up will be presenting “A Plot of Murder,” as a dinner show on April 4 through 6 beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the St. Clair Senior Center in Room 105. Tickets are $10 each.
“A Plot of Murder” takes place during a typical homeowners association meeting. Usually a dull affair filled with complaints about too tall grass and unruly children, this meeting gets rather exciting when an Elvis impersonator ends up dead in the restroom. Soon, Agent McManshon arrives to conduct the murder investigation. While he seems to understand what is going on, he really doesn’t. In this interactive dinner and play, the audience has a little something to say about “who done it”.
The play was directed by Anne Jaspers and Karen Carothers. Cast members include Bev Brockus, Cindy Dembowczyk, Dee Elston, Judy Finch, Don Hill, Dorthy Jenkins, Wayne Johnson, Carolyn Sneed Lester, Edna McKnight, Kim Mullins, Dave Reynolds, Jim Transport, and Carol Vincent. Ed Dembowczyk is the stage manager, and Bev Brockus is the costume mistress. They are looking for a few more crew members. Anyone interested should contact Kathy Herod for more information.
About 50 people have been involved with the group since it formed. Some, like Karen Carothers and Edna McKnight, have been acting for a very long time. Others are new to the activity.
“Our favorite thing about performing is the interaction with the community,” Jim Transport recently told the Murfreesboro Pulse.
Acting is a great way for seniors to “improve cognition and increase social engagement,” according to an article on Visiting Angels. It also allows them to break out of their comfort zones, have new experiences, express their emotions, explore their creativity, expand their social networks, and employ their cognitive abilities to memorize lines. It also allows them to learn to laugh at themselves. And according to the Mayo Clinic, “laughter boosts your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart and lungs, and increases the release of endorphins in your brain.”
According to Script.com, “Many learn something about themselves from…live theater… as watching others navigate [them] often provides a roadmap to complex emotions. [It also promotes] senior health by stoking their memory with emotions and stories they may relate to from their past.”
Oscar Wilde once wrote, “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Seating is limited. For tickets, call 615-848-2550 or drop by the center at 325 St. Clair Street.
Please Join Our FREE Newsletter!
