Monday, Sept. 29, 2014

SENIOR STARS

Acting program fills void for seniors

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The Bossier Arts Council and the Company Repertory Theatre offer a series of programs for seniors by seniors called, appropriately, Senior Stars.

Richard Folmer is a founding member of The Company and is in charge of coordinating the program.

“We thought about doing something for senior actors and for the senior community,” he said. To fill the bill, Folmer said, “We came up with the idea of doing short plays.”

The program originally came to the Bossier Arts Council through a grant from the Harrah’s Foundation. Due to staffing and scheduling issues, the program was dormant for about a year. It was re-launched in January of this year.

The program offers a series of comedic, short format plays with topics about and for seniors. All the actors in the troupe are at least 55 years of age. Folmer said the actors play in a variety of locations, taking the plays to the audience rather than having the audience come to the theater.

Performances have been staged in assisted living and residential facilities, senior service centers and churches, but they’ll play wherever seniors want to gather and laugh at aging, Folmer said.

“It’s for people who can’t necessarily get out to the theater. We think this is a more convenient way for them to experience theater.”

The plays vary in length from about 15 minutes to a half-hour and involve seniors in typical and funny situations.

“The Meeting” concerns an elderly couple who meet over dinner at a residential facility and talk about their interests and spouses. Despite some miscommunications, they hit it off enough for a later rendezvous that’s part of a surprise ending.

In “The College Reunion,” Marvin and Lucille reconnect with some of their college acquaintances, but it’s far from a night to remember. Things get really memorable when Lucille begins to suspect Marvin of more than just acquaintance with one alumna.

A mature lady gets together with a group of her friends to share her exciting news. She’s about to adopt a baby. Her friends are shocked and concerned because of their friend’s age and wonder how she plans to raise a tiny creature. “A Slight Misunderstanding” ensues because even old friends sometimes don’t listen to each other well enough.

The actors, who are brave enough to admit to their maturity, include some of this area’s most familiar performers. Ruth Doreck, Dot Hall, Mary Joris, Marsha Brown, Rite Poling, Sylvia Rachal, Thelma Harrison and Ginger Folmer are the distaff members. On the old fogies’ side are David Bieler, Richard King, Monty Brown, Eugen Crook, Kip Holloway, John Mitchell and Richard Folmer.

Folmer said the response to the performances has been excellent. They play to generally small audiences rather than the large crowds these actors are used to thrilling. “We’ve had two performances at Asbury [Methodist Church] with 40 to 50 people each. Most places are 15 to 20. But it doesn’t really matter, it’s available for them,” he said, because the actors will play for any size crowd.

After a recent morning performance at Summerfield Estates in south Shreveport, Folmer said the group was immediately asked to come back for another visit by appreciative audience members and facility staff.

Even though the audiences like what they see, the future of the program depends on Folmer’s ability to fund the group after the current grant funds are depleted. He said, “There has been talk of extending the program in some form. Right now, the grant pays the expenses of providing the performances.”

He added that the current grant will carry the program through the end of this year at least, but after that, it will have to find additional money. He said both The Bossier Arts Council and The Company Repertory Theatre would like to see the program continue because they believe it provides a valuable service to the people for whom traditional play times and lengths are burdensome.

These performances come to them and are available in the mornings and afternoons rather than mid-evening or on Sunday afternoons when most of them are busy with family.

For more information on Senior Stars and other performance options available through BAC and The Company Rep, call Folmer at 458-4848, or check online at www.facebook.com/companyrep, or www.www.bossierarts.org.

ON STANDS NOW!

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