Webpage Supplement to:

Chapter 3: Lifedrama with Elders

Rosilyn Wilder

Re-Posted, September 29, 2006

Further notes:

The concept of Life Drama was originally inspired by Dr. Robert Butler's (1967, 1975), assertion that "Life review is a major task of aging, an imperative for older people who often feel their lives have been meaningless." (We’ve found that life review is useful at any age, even with young people.)
- --
One type of enactment that is often enjoyed is that of those who are in a group with a similar sub-cultural or ethnic makeup, because they can talk about the foods, the music, the sub-cultural heroes, legends, the old country, the traditions, superstitions, jokes, and other elements that make for the richness of a cultural identity. (How many people from Italy, Mexico, Ireland, Eastern Europe’s Jewish community, or other immigrant subgroups, or the children of those immigrants, are in settings where they are in the minority? It can be healing for these groups to be able to hang out, at least for a while, with their cultural compatriots.)

Social Issues

In the drama room, elders–or if it’s an inter-generational club, both elders and teenagers-- can develop improvisations on themes and \ideas: When I get angry. Hey, Somebody! Listen to Me. When "No" Means Saying "Yes" to Me.

Another approach is similar to the Bibliodrama chapter, where participants improvise based on a shared cultural text–not just Bible stories, but fables, myths, Shakespeare, etc. Five surprised me one day with memorized script from Romeo and Juliet. "The words---they're so beautiful", said Robin, "they make me cry."

Old-time melodrama is an easy and fun warm-up, with a sneaky villain, a pure but naive hero, the heroine, the heroine’s mother and/or father, and perhaps some other stock characters. Those who remember these quasi-vaudeville plays find they can experiment and play off those simple plots.

Other scenes were stimulated by the residents’ trying on hats that I brought in, a large bag-full, large floppy hats, berets, Sunday church hats and gloves, army hats and old fashioned straw hats. Each suggested its own small scene or situation. Props that worked with younger children also recalled memories to these more frail elders. It was an affirmation that drama is potent and accessible even to ill, depressed elders with only their memories to affirm their existence. Even dementia patients respond to a piece of textured fabric, a vegetable, an old gadget. Memories come to the surface with story, role play, and sometimes associated with old-time songs. Imagination and playfulness is alive where one least expects it,---if it's stimulated, permitted, and
accepted.

More on Autumn Stages

Another method adapted for more alert and physically able elders has been “lifestory,” which is relatively more improvised. It relieves the participants from the worry about memorizing scripts, and frees them to be spontaneous, to flex their imaginations, and involve audiences in other ways. Arranging with a local agency for a room where we could make noise, we then recruited elders through the senior clubs in the area, advertising through flyers and announcements for tryouts for “Autumn Stages.” .

Twenty-five men and women responded, many thinking they'd do costumes and sets. But
we didn't use costumes, only a hat, a bag, a prop. After three months, the numbers
shrank to 14. Those that left apparently wanted more conventional theatre, and perhaps some of them were able to find roles in community theatre productions. A core group enjoyed the more interactive approach, though.

We held workshops on spontaneity training in general, sometimes involving a movement or dance warm-up. We might have a guest dance/movement expressive artist or therapist introduce certain techniques. We taught the group vocal projection and articulation, because our plan was to present interactive and improvisational programs to older audiences who would need the actors to speak clearly, because many were somewhat hard of hearing. The bulk of our work was working from a theme, weaving in the group member’s life stories, and having a composite general enactment emerge as a modified improvisational process.

After a while the group felt ready to take these improvised stories to other groups, to present them and invite further interaction from the audiences. We called those audience members not spectators but “spect-actors.” They became adept at accepting prompts, ideas from the audience and improvising around these dramatic themes, and also involving some of the audience in the scene. Supported by our troupe members in-role, anyone and everyone we asked, stepped right into the improv. The themes largely drew upon memories of growing up in a variety of cultures and a different time---"before television, computers, refrigerators, plastic, disposable diapers and Atkins diet." and so much more.We toured weekly all over the state, traveling in our own donated 15 passenger bus, Autumn Stages in bold letters on the bus sides.

As an example, in one workshop, one of the audience, a woman, offered her response to the theme question, “Are there dreams we hold, dreams never realized?” Beatrice (not her real name) raised her hand. She spoke haltingly, with some embarrassment. "I've never talked about this," she started. "My husband wouldn't have understood. I planned for months to leave home, get my own apartment with a friend, and enroll in a theatre school. I was still living at home at the age of 27. My father insisted that a girl must not leave her family home until she is married. And I, as a good daughter, obeyed. But now, I was determined. After renting the apartment, I confronted my parents at the supper table. He was outraged. He pushed me across the room at the wall. My mother was screaming; I knew this would happen and tried to remain firm. It wasn't easy. What really made it worse, and I shouldn't even have told him, was that I, his daughter, would even think of going into the theatre! That was the way for whores and night women. Finally, I broke loose, tears streaking my face, and ran from the house, just ran and ran. I never returned.” Our troupe improvised the story, offering different thoughts about how the different roles might have been feeling, what cultural attitudes people grew up with. In a way, this was like what Hannah Fox writes about with Playback Theatre.

On tour after that, we often used Beatrice’s story, always improvised a-fresh, to stimulate lifestories from our audiences about their dreams- denied.

Another person working in this field is Naida Weisberg, who works with other creative
arts therapists especially drama therapists, all in a spirit similar to what was described earlier. They have contracts for adjunctive support or activities therapy at nursing homes. (They also have programs for other ages, emphasizing creative drama and other drama therapy approaches.}

"Life Drama" is Rosilyn Wilder’s copyrighted designation, as is "lifestory" as one word.
Her Autumn Stages troupe, at times did one-time intergenerational programs (described in her book), but the real program involved 2months to 8 months or longer in middle schools and high schools. Occasionally these programs were performed in health care facilities to which the students were bused. Our longer programs were at 7 schools in the riot-torn city of Newark, New Jersey. I trained multi-cultural artist-leader teams,-- often led single workshops,--- and met with them regularly to discuss what worked, what didn't work and how it could be remedied.
Overall we counted that we reached over 12,000 youth and elders during the nine years of the project. It ended just before the millenium due to redirection of grants to the elegant NJ PAC theatre center opening, to great promo, in downtown Newark.

Out-takes from the Chapter:

If the telling is natural, so too is dramatization of life stories. "We've always been improvising," commented a 95-year older woman. Just ask about a card game or a first automobile, you will see hands recreating the actions held deep in muscle memory as the story emerges. The leader can step into a role, maybe as a parent chastising his daughter's driving: "Slow down, you're shifting too fast; you'll strip the gears!" And the response may be: "I can't help it. This clutch just slides too easily." Everyone quickly understands this is pretend-time, and joins in easily.

Re-enactment of past moments elicits laughter, but also reflection and re-assessment. It is a powerful experience to see oneself as part of history. As telling a story is natural, so too is dramatizing it, recalling what someone said. The pantomime begins with the telling. Ask an elder about a card game or a woman about learning to drive an early car, you will see the hands recreate the actions held deep in muscle memory as the story emerges. The leader can then turn to a group member, "Marilyn, will you drive me to the next farm? I'm out of beans." And the response may be "Beans? Certainly–but wait, I think I have a few extra pounds." If a group is all city-bred, the response will differ: "Can't you walk to the grocer’s? It's only a half mile."
For three years we held weekly workshops in their 7th floor sunroom with three separate sessions a day. One session, for example, was attended by twelve women in wheelchairs, the Life Drama leader, and two aides.

ResistancesOccasionally some staff members who think our workshops are only fun and games, wheel in everyone from down the hall. And there are those special times when someone who resisted for weeks suddenly decides to join us.

(Increasingly there is care about ensuring the correct diagnosis of Alzheimers’ Disease, because other conditions–often due to medication–can mimic some of its features.)

Another example happened in a nursing home in New Jersey, working with patients in the earlier stages of dementia. The leaders arrived with a bag of textured fabrics, a large floppy hat, a whistle, a few cloth caps (washable), and other assorted items. The warm-up was an old acting exercise: “Please and No.” After a warm-up of deep breathing, follow-the-leader stretching, and an unsuccessful attempt at a name game, one leader invited two patients in wheel chairs to join her in the center of the circle. A woman named Margie had grabbed the large floppy hat as she passed the prop table and, with it perched on her head, was already showing it off to those still awake.

The leader approached Margie, who had been talking since she entered, and asked: "Can you say ‘Please’?" "Please," she said with surprise. Turning to Dan, a slight bent man in a cap looking a little frightened, the leader asked, "Can you say ‘No’?" He nodded and imitated with "No!" Each patient in the circle said "Please" and "No" in different ways. A few screamed it; others whispered it, chuckling. Now the two in the center repeated it."Please," Margie said in a loud voice. One leader turned to the others, "What could she want when she says ‘Please?’" Margie had her own idea: "She doesn't want him to give her a ticket." The leader turned and questioned Dan, “Are you a cop?” He fell into this emerging plot readily, answering, "Of course.” "So why are you giving her a ticket?"

Neither of them seemed uncomfortable that they were pretending. They took it seriously. Even the sleepers woke up: something new in the dull routine world of health care and they were ready to play along. Margie repeated, "please" with every conceivable wile. One leader side-coached Dan to grow stronger with his "No!" Finally, the scene was replayed with language, initiated first by a leader saying, "Please don't give me a ticket. I didn't do anything wrong." Dan, ordinarily a timid man, in role reprimanded her harshly for speeding; his voice, once released, was loud and hoarse. And she, a woman in her 80's, became furious, screaming back at him. "Are you a man?! You have no manners, no heart. I'd hate to be your wife." The "audience" cheered. When does a patient have an opportunity to "ventilate" in this way? With the floppy hat and the cap as catalyst, and the leaders using questions to guide the participants, the scene emerged. It was not thought out and planned. It happened.

Autum Stages: Again, themes were chosen for their universality: "Growing up in my mother's home." "What was expected of girls but not of boys." "Discipline and punishment." "The Depression Years: how we survived." "Stories of WWII."

Youth and Elders Interact: Programs were performed mainly in large classrooms and cafeterias in schools. Sometimes it was only a one-time occasion, but in many others, the program extended up to eight months. We had six two-person multi-cultural teams of leaders,–all experienced in drama therapy or drama in education. In most schools, leaders met with two different classes of students, two hours per session each day.

depression story:
another:Leader: "Could this happen today?" One student says, “We never eat dinner together anymore. My dad gets home too late."
An elder: We never ate until everyone was at the table to say "Grace." Stories pour forth, the first death or wake attended; receiving blame for something at school one didn't do; divorces; growing up in a single parent home; also, losing a farm, bad crops, discrimination at public housing or at movie theaters, and so forth.

One student, Buck, has his story chosen by his group. "My father was just downsized from his job. I heard my mother and father worrying how they'd pay the mortgage, and for my braces". After his story is improvised with the children squabbling while dad and mom are talking, the boy who plays Buck calls out, "I guess we could've delivered groceries or something on our bike. Maybe–you have two guitars–maybe sell one, or some video games. "
Buck: Guess we never thought of that.

We have worked in schools where principals have asked us to perform for other classes. We explain anew our objectives. The very word "Drama, so associated with "entertainment" needs re-definition. Teachers comment about how much more expressive their students have become in their creative writing and speaking, and about their enjoyment of the elders.

Other Efforts

In Providence, Rhode Island, Naida Weisberg and Rose Pavlow of !Improvise, Inc.! started with children's theatre, then branched out with a wide range of programs including innovative intergenerational programs. Beginning in the 1970's, they have not only worked in nursing homes and day care centers and other venues, but also also train health care workers. They have used a range of art methods and activities that have helped Hispanic communities come together, including original songs, ethnic dancing, and emotion-filled autobiographical theatre. For example, two age groups produced an "old country/new country mural" that depicted sharp changes in lifestyle-culture shock.

In Philadelphia, at Temple University, The Center for Intergenerational Learning offers a number of programs involving elders in varied helping roles with youth in the city and surrounding areas. The Full Circle Theatre began in 1984 under the directorship of Rosalie Minkin as a small group of teens and elders who learned a variety of improvisational theatre techniques which were then used to help audiences explore age-related issues and dispel myths about growing older. This program has grown since then to engage in a variety of Theatre-in-Education programs, similar to those described in Chapter__.

In New York City, Susan Perlstein leads Elders Share the Arts. Again, oral history programs have expanded to include intergenerational activities and extensive community involvements. There are undoubtedly many more which may have developed and merit recognition. And may their numbers continue to increase.

Sheila Rubin and Christina Nunez facilitated the formation of intergenerational theatre troupe in San Francisco Bay Area, who called themselves the Heart-to-Heart Players. They worked out a compelling program of interactive theatre called “Don’t Pull the Shades,” in which situations were presented as brief skits, designed by the troupe, and then audiences were invited to interact, make suggestions, or even come up and show how they’d handle the problem differently. It was energizing to the troupe of elders and young people, who had been recruited from the community, ordinary folks without particular drama training before they joined the program.

Naida Weisberg, April, 2004, notes on working with elderly populations:

If you're going to do a program about Spring, walk into your working space wearing a big, cheerful straw hat - or flowery or feathery, one that turns you on yourself. Carry a trowel maybe. Set your stuff down and pull out packets of seeds - or bring in small plants - or pussywillows. All eyes are on you and many are ready to share.

There's conflict in the facility, you've been told about it by a nurse or an aide, and the residents are uneasy. Choose a story that focuses on argument or disagreement (most good ones do!) and tell it. Talk about the story, get their feedback. Start a discussion (if one doesn't begin) about differences of opinion, the world situation, local problems, family issues, and how they do and do not become resolved. See if any of the "house" difficulties are aired - you can often gently coax them out. Even if their ideas don't come out "intact" (fear of retribution comes into this), many folks will do an inner search and feel better about whatever's going on. Role play a situation that comes up in the conversation - one that has nothing specific in it about the current "problem". There'll be sharing about the role play and comments about changing the topic, perhaps. Sometimes the less vocal people will catch you after the session and seek a more intimate chat.

-- With a group of Hispanic older adults at a community center - men and women who had emigrated to the US from hostile governments - we chose a play by Juan Bosch called "The Beautiful Soul of Don Damien" that points out man's hypocrisy. A rich man lies dying, surrounded by his wife, mother-in-law, doctor, priest, nurse, and housekeeper. All of these (with the exception of the housekeeper,) claim to be "so sorry" that Don Damien is dying - but everyone shares with the audience what s/he wants or expects to receive when he does. It's very, very funny. The group was videotaped performing this play, Reader's Theatre style, with a translator who cued them. They did it in Spanish, but we had written translations. They also sang wonderful songs, composed by our music therapist, including one called "Deme, deme, deme el dinero"! They loved doing it and of course all kinds of stories came out about their own lives and the hypocrisies they'd experienced . But with much humor and laughter - so important for all.

Further notes:

One type of enactment that is often enjoyed is that of those who are in a group with a similar sub-cultural or ethnic makeup, because they can talk about the foods, the music, the sub-cultural heroes, legends, the old country, the traditions, superstitions, jokes, and other elements that make for the richness of a cultural identity. (How many people from Italy, Mexico, Ireland, Eastern Europe's Jewish community, or other immigrant subgroups, or the children of those immigrants, are in settings where they are in the minority? It can be healing for these groups to be able to hang out, at least for a while, with their cultural compatriots.)

Social Issues

In the drama room, elders–or if it's an inter-generational club, both elders and teenagers-- can develop improvisations on themes and \ideas: When I get angry. Hey, Somebody! Listen to Me. When "No" Means Saying "Yes" to Me.

Another approach is similar to the Bibliodrama chapter, where participants improvise based on a shared cultural text–not just Bible stories, but fables, myths, Shakespeare, etc. Five surprised me one day with memorized script from Romeo and Juliet. "The words---they're so beautiful", said Robin, "they make me cry."

Old-time melodrama is an easy and fun warm-up, with a sneaky villain, a pure but naive hero, the heroine, the heroine's mother and/or father, and perhaps some other stock characters. Those who remember these quasi-vaudeville plays find they can experiment and play off those simple plots.

Other scenes were stimulated by the residents' trying on hats that I brought in, a large bag-full, large floppy hats, berets, Sunday church hats and gloves, army hats and old fashioned straw hats. Each suggested its own small scene or situation. Props that worked with younger children also recalled memories to these more frail elders. It was an affirmation that drama is potent and accessible even to ill, depressed elders with only their memories to affirm their existence. Even dementia patients respond to a piece of textured fabric, a vegetable, an old gadget. Memories come to the surface with story, role play, and sometimes associated with old-time songs. Imagination and playfulness is alive where one least expects it,---if it's stimulated, permitted, and
accepted.

More on Autumn Stages

Another method adapted for more alert and physically able elders has been "lifestory," which is relatively more improvised. It relieves the participants from the worry about memorizing scripts, and frees them to be spontaneous, to flex their imaginations, and involve audiences in other ways. Arranging with a local agency for a room where we could make noise, we then recruited elders through the senior clubs in the area, advertising through flyers and announcements for tryouts for "Autumn Stages." .

Twenty-five men and women responded, many thinking they'd do costumes and sets. But
we didn't use costumes, only a hat, a bag, a prop. After three months, the numbers
shrank to 14. Those that left apparently wanted more conventional theatre, and perhaps some of them were able to find roles in community theatre productions. A core group enjoyed the more interactive approach, though.

We held workshops on spontaneity training in general, sometimes involving a movement or dance warm-up. We might have a guest dance/movement expressive artist or therapist introduce certain techniques. We taught the group vocal projection and articulation, because our plan was to present interactive and improvisational programs to older audiences who would need the actors to speak clearly, because many were somewhat hard of hearing. The bulk of our work was working from a theme, weaving in the group member's life stories, and having a composite general enactment emerge as a modified improvisational process.

After a while the group felt ready to take these improvised stories to other groups, to present them and invite further interaction from the audiences. We called those audience members not spectators but "spect-actors." They became adept at accepting prompts, ideas from the audience and improvising around these dramatic themes, and also involving some of the audience in the scene. Supported by our troupe members in-role, anyone and everyone we asked, stepped right into the improv. The themes largely drew upon memories of growing up in a variety of cultures and a different time---"before television, computers, refrigerators, plastic, disposable diapers and Atkins diet." and so much more.We toured weekly all over the state, traveling in our own donated 15 passenger bus, Autumn Stages in bold letters on the bus sides.

As an example, in one workshop, one of the audience, a woman, offered her response to the theme question, "Are there dreams we hold, dreams never realized?" Beatrice (not her real name) raised her hand. She spoke haltingly, with some embarrassment. "I've never talked about this," she started. "My husband wouldn't have understood. I planned for months to leave home, get my own apartment with a friend, and enroll in a theatre school. I was still living at home at the age of 27. My father insisted that a girl must not leave her family home until she is married. And I, as a good daughter, obeyed. But now, I was determined. After renting the apartment, I confronted my parents at the supper table. He was outraged. He pushed me across the room at the wall. My mother was screaming; I knew this would happen and tried to remain firm. It wasn't easy. What really made it worse, and I shouldn't even have told him, was that I, his daughter, would even think of going into the theatre! That was the way for whores and night women. Finally, I broke loose, tears streaking my face, and ran from the house, just ran and ran. I never returned." Our troupe improvised the story, offering different thoughts about how the different roles might have been feeling, what cultural attitudes people grew up with. In a way, this was like what Hannah Fox writes about with Playback Theatre.

On tour after that, we often used Beatrice's story, always improvised a-fresh, to stimulate lifestories from our audiences about their dreams- denied.

Another person working in this field is Naida Weisberg, who works with other creative
arts therapists especially drama therapists, all in a spirit similar to what was described earlier. They have contracts for adjunctive support or activities therapy at nursing homes. (They also have programs for other ages, emphasizing creative drama and other drama therapy approaches.}

"Life Drama" is Rosilyn Wilder's copyrighted designation, as is "lifestory" as one word.
Her Autumn Stages troupe, at times did one-time intergenerational programs (described in her book), but the real program involved 2months to 8 months or longer in middle schools and high schools. Occasionally these programs were performed in health care facilities to which the students were bused. Our longer programs were at 7 schools in the riot-torn city of Newark, New Jersey. I trained multi-cultural artist-leader teams,-- often led single workshops,--- and met with them regularly to discuss what worked, what didn't work and how it could be remedied.
Overall we counted that we reached over 12,000 youth and elders during the nine years of the project. It ended just before the millenium due to redirection of grants to the elegant NJ PAC theatre center opening, to great promo, in downtown Newark.

Other Efforts

Other Examples

Sheila Rubin and Christina Nunez facilitated the formation of intergenerational theatre troupe in San Francisco Bay Area, who called themselves the Heart-to-Heart Players. They worked out a compelling program of interactive theatre called "Don't Pull the Shades," in which situations were presented as brief skits, designed by the troupe, and then audiences were invited to interact, make suggestions, or even come up and show how they'd handle the problem differently. It was energizing to the troupe of elders and young people, who had been recruited from the community, ordinary folks without particular drama training before they joined the program.

Naida Weisberg:

April, 2004, notes on working with elderly populations:
If you're going to do a program about Spring, walk into your working space wearing a big, cheerful straw hat - or flowery or feathery, one that turns you on yourself. Carry a trowel maybe. Set your stuff down and pull out packets of seeds - or bring in small plants - or pussywillows. All eyes are on you and many are ready to share.

There's conflict in the facility, you've been told about it by a nurse or an aide, and the residents are uneasy. Choose a story that focuses on argument or disagreement (most good ones do!) and tell it. Talk about the story, get their feedback. Start a discussion (if one doesn't begin) about differences of opinion, the world situation, local problems, family issues, and how they do and do not become resolved. See if any of the "house" difficulties are aired - you can often gently coax them out. Even if their ideas don't come out "intact" (fear of retribution comes into this), many folks will do an inner search and feel better about whatever's going on. Role play a situation that comes up in the conversation - one that has nothing specific in it about the current "problem". There'll be sharing about the role play and comments about changing the topic, perhaps. Sometimes the less vocal people will catch you after the session and seek a more intimate chat.

-- With a group of Hispanic older adults at a community center - men and women who had emigrated to the US from hostile governments - we chose a play by Juan Bosch called "The Beautiful Soul of Don Damien" that points out man's hypocrisy. A rich man lies dying, surrounded by his wife, mother-in-law, doctor, priest, nurse, and housekeeper. All of these (with the exception of the housekeeper,) claim to be "so sorry" that Don Damien is dying - but everyone shares with the audience what s/he wants or expects to receive when he does. It's very, very funny. The group was videotaped performing this play, Reader's Theatre style, with a translator who cued them. They did it in Spanish, but we had written translations. They also sang wonderful songs, composed by our music therapist, including one called "Deme, deme, deme el dinero"! They loved doing it and of course all kinds of stories came out about their own lives and the hypocrisies they'd experienced, but with much humor and laughter - so important for all.

Webpage Supplement to:

Chapter 3: Lifedrama with Elders

Rosilyn Wilder

Further notes:

Social Issues

More on Autumn Stages

Out-takes from the Chapter:

Other Efforts

Related Reading:

Further notes:

Social Issues

More on Autumn Stages

Other Efforts

Other Examples

Naida Weisberg:

Related Readings:

Rosilyn Wilder, Ed.D., RDT/BCT