Video: CBS Mornings Features Mara Jill Herman With The Queens Theatre Senior Ensemble

Theater artists and senior citizens were among the hardest hit groups during the pandemic. But one program is bringing the groups together to help each other bounce back.

In a community room in Astoria, seniors perform songs and scenes they created themselves in a 10-week program led by Teaching Artist and Residency Director, Mara Jill Herman. Herman teaches The Actor's Toolbox made up of the Body, Voice, and Imagination.

CBS Mornings amplified the story of the aging experience seen here in this news segment:

"The pandemic presented a lot of challenges for people in many fields, particularly ours, since the medium is live so there was a moment to pause and reflect and then once we figured out as a culture how to do it safely, we got back together and came up with this residency," says Herman.

Herman collaborated with Music Director Brian Feinstein, Queens Theatre, and the staff at HANAC to direct a senior population in Storytelling and Devised Theatrical programming. Since 2014, Queens Theatre Education (QTEd) has partnered with several senior centers in Queens Communities to bring theater arts to the center's guests. The course provides an opportunity for seniors to enhance their mental acuity, engage in physical activity, and form new and lasting bonds with ensemble members.

Participants in the program include Anna Ron Borzoni, Sandra Iglesias, Sandi Leibowitz, Doris Pereyra Rosenberg, and Rosalyn Temple. The CBS Morning segment was edited by Tracy Casper Lang with footage by Paul Ignizio & Mikhail Torich. To learn more, visit marajillherman.com