The Theater Project to Present Silver Stages, Workshops for Seniors

Are you over 60 and interested in acting, singing, or writing plays?

The Gateway Family YMCA – Wellness Center Branch and The Theater Project have joined forces to present Silver Stages, a trio of free workshops for seniors that will begin on March 2. Each workshop will comprise 10 two-hour sessions. The program will culminate in a May showcase of songs and scenes from the workshops performed by the students. Registration is open now at https://www.thetheaterproject.org/cai.

All sessions will take place at the YMCA Gateway facility, 1000 Galloping Hill Road in Union.

“We want senior audiences to see how empowering it is to be on the OTHER side of the performance,” says Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina. “Arts participation, as a lone playwright or as a team of actors or singers, is electrifying at any age.”

The following is the Silver Stages schedule:

Acting/Improvisation, Mondays, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., beginning March 2.

For both beginners and those with some experience, students will use improvisation, theater games, monologues, and scenes (with no memorization required), while expanding their own communication and critical thinking skills.

The instructor, Susan Speidel, served as the first director of education for Paper Mill Playhouse and spent 20 years creating education and outreach theater programs for ages six to 96. She currently teaches at Kean University, Rutgers, and Light Opera of New Jersey.

Playwriting, Mondays, 10 a.m. – noon, beginning March 2.

Participants will explore the playwright's basic tools: play structure, developing character through action, and cultivating an ear for dialogue. Participants also will learn about some of the practical considerations of production as they hear their work read by students from the acting course.

The instructor, Bill Mesce, Jr., is an award-winning playwright and author, who additionally has written for film and TV. Among his over 30 published titles are several works on writing. He currently is an adjunct instructor at Kean University.

Musical Theater, Tuesdays, noon – 2 p.m., beginning March 3.

Participants will strengthen their voices and tap their toes as they learn songs from some of the great American musicals to perform in the May showcase.

The instructor, Gail Lou, has been a musical director working with Crossroads Theater, Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory, and The Theater Project, among others. She appeared Off-Broadway in Mama, I Want to Sing and has contributed background vocals to recordings by R&B, gospel, jazz, and classical artists.

“All of us at the YMCA are excited and honored to collaborate with The Theater Project to provide this unique, innovative program for older individuals in our community,” said Jodi Pelano, branch executive director for The Gateway Family YMCA, (http://www.tgfymca.org/). A leading 501(c)(3) non-profit, health and community service organization, it is committed to strengthening community by connecting all people to their potential, purpose and each other. The YMCA concentrates on empowering young people, improving health and well-being, and inspiring action in and across communities. 

To register for Silver Stages, visit https://www.thetheaterproject.org/cai. Spaces for the workshops are limited. Silver Stages is made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.