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uredmonton.com
EDMONTON EXAMINER.com
- February 24, 2010
No age limit on excellence U of A hosts professional acting workshops for seniors Joelle Tomek Examiner staff An Edmonton acting troupe is debunking the myth that seniors are slow to learn new skills. The Geriactors, led by U of A drama professor David Barnet, are striving for excellence in the field and landing the odd professional gig while they’re at it. Members currently range in age from their late ’60s to late ’70s and the majority are taking up acting for the first time. “There’s a difference between art as a recreational activity, only, and arts that are developed as a skill,� Barnet says. “(The Geriactors are) beyond
pastime or hobby or recreation ‌ Becoming good at it is very much a part of it.â€? Barnet and a few of his professional theatre colleagues are hosting a series of drama workshops for all interested seniors, called the Festival of Edmonton Seniors’ Theatre (FEST). The program, funded by the university and Alberta Foundation for the Arts, aims to learn what types of drama work best with seniors and how best to develop it. “This is extending the principal of geriactors to a much greater range of seniors,â€? Barnet says. The next series of two-hour workshops takes place Saturday in Room 2-47 of the U of A’s Fine Arts Building. At 10 a.m., the president of Rapid Fire Theatre will teach a comedy workshop focusing on improvisation. Next, at 12:30 p.m., Allyson Connelly will lead a
session on musical theatre, followed by a 3 p.m. workshop on storytelling led by Barnet. “We’re combating the stereotype that seniors can’t do this kind of stuff, that they can’t learn new things,� Barnet says. Last year, he taught a workshop on performing Shakespeare and participants quickly picked up the technique. “The seniors got further in the first 20 minutes than many of my students did in an entire term,� Barnet says. Seniors tend to be less selfconscious and more in tune with characters’ experience because of their own level of life experience, Barnet explains. He says advanced creative activity has enormous health benefits, citing a study from the National Centre for Creative Aging. “They could prove that the (seniors) involved in high-level creativity were saving eight
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EPIC PHOTOGRAPHY The Geriactors are hosting the next round of the FEST drama workshops on Saturday. cents a day in medication,� Barnet says. “Our objectives are as much health and social as they are artistic.� While his retired students aren’t looking to launch acting careers, they are well known in the local community and the group is occasionally called for
film and theatre auditions. “The have lots of opportunities to get involved and sometimes make a few dollars.� The cost of each FEST workshop is $5 and participants can register through Tix on the Square by calling 780420-1757.