Palace Theater 2ND ACT SERIES Announces Call For Storytellers

Waterbury's Palace Theater is seeking presenters 50 years and older with inspiring, compelling, or interesting second act stories to share in front of an audience as part of its 2nd Act Series.

Launched in 2017, 2ND ACT is a monthly storytelling series featuring ordinary people sharing the extraordinary things they are doing in the 2ND (half) ACT of their lives. Inspirational, experiential, and comical, these after-50 life stories will ignite audiences' imagination to join the growing community of 2ND ACTers!

The presentation format is forty-five to sixty minutes in length and may include multi-media, visuals, or performance, followed by Q & A with the audience. The series is sponsored by The Village at East Farms and Savings Bank of Danbury.

In previous seasons of 2ND ACT, an eclectic and entertaining mix of people have told their stories in the venue's intimate Poli Club that holds approximately 70 people. Some spoke of realizing a long-held passion, while others discovered a part of themselves or a previously unknown talent. Many storytellers have overcome adversity and loss to eventually find themselves on an entirely different yet fulfilling life path. Weaving inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) strands into the stories we tell and present from our stages, this series is committed to inclusive casting, honoring the wisdom of experiences from diverse ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds.

According to the series' creator, Sheree Marcucci, "The speaker series features people who have discovered inspiring, interesting, challenging, or fun new life experiences during their own 'second acts.' It is all about ordinary people doing some extraordinary things at a time in life that is full of so much potential.

We are seeking people who have an engaging 'second act' story about pursuing a passion, dream, or championing a cause after a certain age and can share it in an entertaining style with an audience. It's one thing to have a story, it's another to be a storyteller."

If you, or someone you know, would like more information and an application, visit: https://www.palacetheaterct.org/application/files/7416/7113/0281/2ND_ACT_Application_23-24.pdf. The application can be downloaded and e-mailed to marcucci@palacetheaterct.org. Deadline for receiving applications for consideration for next season's roster of presenters is May 1, 2023. Applications received will be reviewed for consideration and announced in August.

Located in Downtown Waterbury, Connecticut, the Palace Theater is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit performing arts center with a mission "to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences."