Palace Theater's 2ND ACT Series is Looking for Presenters

Since the Governor's Phase 3 plan now allows for increased capacity for indoor entertainment venues, the Palace Theater is excited to announce that after a lengthy pause since March, it will be resuming some of its programming activities, including the popular 2ND ACT series slated to begin in February 2021. Observing strict adherence to all safety protocols the venue will begin offering this and some other smaller programs..

To that end, do you have an interesting story about your own life's "second act" and can you tell it in an engaging way in front of an audience? If your answer is yes, then the Palace Theater wants to hear from you. The theater is looking for presenters for its innovative speaker's series 2ND ACT that features stories by people of a certain age (50+) telling their story about their second acts. If this is you or someone you know send an e-mail to the Sheree Marcucci at marcucci@palacetheaterct.org to have an application sent to you. Deadline for receiving applications is November 30, 2020.

The series, sponsored by Peak Physical Therapy, The Village at East Farms and OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCONN Waterbury, was launched two years ago by Marcucci, the theater's marketing and public relations officer, as a new type of programming for the venue that traditionally presents touring Broadway, concerts and headline acts. 2ND ACT is a storytelling platform that has turned into a critical success. "I thought of this idea initially as a way to add to the Palace portfolio of programming offered, that is outside the norm. Put simply the monthly speaker series presents people who during their own "second acts" have discovered inspiring, interesting, challenging or fun new life experiences - ordinary people doing some extraordinary things at a time in life that is just waiting to be embraced.

During the first two seasons of 2ND ACT, an eclectic and entertaining mix of people have told their stories on the stage inside the venue's Poli Club. Some spoke of a long-held passion they could now put more focus on once their traditional family obligations were fulfilled. Several discovered a part of themselves or a talent they didn't know existed before, while others spoke of adversity or losing everything and eventually finding themselves on an entirely different yet fulfilling life path. All different, yet all echoing a common element - life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and as one of the speakers noted, there can be many acts!

"People who have an engaging 2ND ACT story about how they pursued a passion, dream or championed a cause after a certain age and can share it in an entertaining style with an audience, is who we are looking for. It's one thing to have a story, it's another to be a storyteller." noted Marcucci.

Presentation format is forty-five to sixty minutes in length followed by Q & A with the audience. A small stipend is offered to each of the presenters selected.