Seven Months Since Staged Reading

Connie Brown Hall • 1:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Friends of the Tribby Tribby Atrium and the Galleries • 2:30 – 4 p.m.

Shell Point Players and Writers Guild joined by students from Florida Gulf Coast University’s theater program— will present a staged reading entitled “Seven Months Since” that complements the opening of the Seven Months Since exhibition in the Shell Point, Overlook, and Tribby Legacy Galleries in the Tribby Arts Center.

The event’s inception can be traced back to when Marge Lee (Lucina), resident curator of the Tribby Arts Center, met Dr. Dan Bacalzo, Associate Professor of Theatre at FGCU, during conversations for the Tribby’s 2021 inaugural exhibition, Sparkle!

“We discussed a possible collaboration as a way of incorporating FGCU’s theatre program into Shell Point’s “Art as Healing” initiative. We also brought in FGCU’s Roots of Compassion and Kindness (ROCK Center) as another partner, with ROCK faculty member Jamie Wilson who joined me in a team-taught class this semester,” said Dan.

“We knew that blending the students and residents in a theatre-based production would result in an interesting dialogue between two distinctive, different demographics,” added Marge.

Development of the project stalled a bit in the fall, due to the impact of Hurricane Ian. When conversations resumed, Marge and Dan decided that a focus on how the hurricane affected both Shell Point residents and FGCU students could give a thematic cohesion to the project while allowing it to address issues of health, safety, compassion and empathy.

Preparation began in February, with approximately 40 students interviewing residents about their hurricane experience, while reflecting on their own encounters with the storm. Workshops began in March, with work culminating in the staged reading.

“My students and I have really enjoyed working with the Shell Point Players, Writers

Guild, and other residents who have participated in workshops and interviews,” said Dan. “There’s a fun dynamic when working on an intergenerational collaboration, as it allows for different perspectives and experiences to intersect. I think the vitality of some of the Shell Point residents surprised my students. As one of the residents said following a performance workshop, “80 is the new 60.”

Jana Stone (Eagles Preserve), co-director of the Shell Point Players, wholeheartedly agrees. “The workshop collaboration has been like a breath of fresh air. The spontaneous,