"I felt I could do anything.

"I felt I could do anything. I felt light and alive and ageless," said 70-year-old Lillian Roche after performing a play created and instanted by members of Hodson Senior Center's Theatre Workshop.

Like all plays produc through the Hodson group, "Sisters" featured views based on significant experiences and issues that shaped the workshop participants' lives. In this particular case, the form into groups members were black and shared the experience of migrating from the rural southerly to the urban North during the 1930 and 40 and the play interwove themes of family, social, and cultural life at the time.

Located in the Bronx the Hodson workshop has been going muscular for more than a decade. Fifteen seniors, ranging in age from 65 to 80 make up the Hodson Players. The enthrall of a book and a documentary film, the clump is similar to the 25 other assign places tos involved in life review theatre workshops that olders Share the Arts (ESTA) administrations in New York City.

Finding Meaning and Identity

Headquartered in Brooklyn ESTA exercises a method of life review based forward the writings of Robert Butler Barbara Meyerhoff Erik Erikson, and other theorists in gerontology and the behavioral science fields, who view olden age as a time to review the not away in the light of one's admit life history--its triumphs and failures, its transports and sufferings, its relationship to lov uniteds as well as its particular social, historical, and cultural words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following Through the life review proces the individual is encouraged to make known a perspective on his or her life, and to understand the many layers 6f experience that helped shape it. Life review provides a tool for older adults to find meaning and identity--the couple most significant factors in attaining psychological well-being in the later stages of life.

Facilitated from a group leader, an artist trained in the ESTA manner workshop members are encouraged to reminisce in order to rebuild significant moments in their lives. These call to minded events are then used by way of the group to generate themes that illustrate an aspect of an historical period. In uncovering the links between their individual lives and the broader historical framework, tribe can find a sense of identity and belonging.

The themes that appear are as varied as the social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds of the members themselves, still often focus on common experiences, like as immigration, work, family, regard with affection and loss. Under the direction of the ESTA workshop facilitator, the clump gradually shapes this material into a living history play between the sides of improvisation and other creative dramatic techniques. The consequence is an original work created by the agency of for, and about seniors.

Each workshop moves from October to May and engages for weekly 1 1/2-hour sessions. A strange group generally goes through three phases. First, there is a proces of getting acquainted, which is facilitated by the agency of exercises designed to "break the ice" and make the assign places to more comfortable in revealing life conclusions they may have hidden for years. The leader starts with basic questions that establish a framework for life review, of that kind as "How many children were there in your family?" and "Where were you living when World War II began?"

As cluster members feel more comfortable with single in kind another and the workshop proces the exercises focus upon individual life stories and experiences, bringing them to life between the sides of group improvisations. For example, a session might begin with an open-end question like "Tell me about your first job" or "Describe a egotistical moment in your life," or "How did you celebrate special occasions in your house?"

As dispose members respond, the leader intimates improvisations that elaborate upon their answers. Participants may role-play family members or friends whom they recall. As universal themes are uncovered, the workshop put in motions full speed ahead to create views and develop dramatic conflicts. Then the play is rehearsed and later performed at a senior center union hall, hospital, or nursing residence Audiences include neighborhood seniors, friends and relatives, and curious community members who learn of the performances [i]or[/i] part of to the other the local media or word of mouth

Besides these smaller community performances, ESTA bring into beings annual Living History Theatre Festivals in parks and other public places. in the same state [i]or[/i] condition showcases bring together selected performing clusters for a day of celebrating the vitality and creativity of older bodys These events provide a forum for seniors to share experiences, suited workshop members from other communities, and unravel a sense of identity with their matchs In May 1990, ESTA celebrated its 10th anniversary with 2 weeks of performances in Manhattan, Brooklyn Queen and the Bronx

Training Other Staff

Continually seeking to broaden the vent of its workshops, ESTA has adapted its classifications to work with the frail somewhat old and other special populations, of that kind as the handicapped, deaf, visually impaired, and older adults with psychiatric problems

ESTA also actionss intergenerational programs, bringing together young and ancient to celebrate life history. ESTA has now embarked forward a 2-year multicultural, intergenerational brew "Rediscovering America." This unique plan pairs 5th to 7th graders with older adults in four different neighborhoods over New York City. Helping communities examine their part in American history, ESTA's professionally trained artists are teaching these assign places tos oral history techniques and theater skills. The year's work will culminate in a Rediscovering America Festival in May 1992 during which each intergenerational cluster will present a living history of their community.