Lifestages
Bridging the Generations
Lifestages honors older individuals by creating grassroots theatre from their experiences.
Introduced in 1990, the program is unique to Playwrights Project.
Lifestages pairs "storytellers," typically people seventy and older, with professional actor/writers. Four pairs of storytellers/writers work at a given site, which may be a senior center, residence or convalescent hospital. In a series of visits over several weeks, the storytellers share memories with their writer partners. Together each pair shapes these stories into an autobiographical vignette. The vignettes are performed at the site by the writers, often with additional actors, for an audience of family, friends, guests and staff. Scripts and videotaped copies of the performance are given to the storytellers and their families.
Everyone involved in a Lifestages cycle gains insights from the stories we collect. We think of these discoveries as pearls. Pearls are not immediately visible; you need to search to find them. Pearls are of great value, as is the wisdom gained from life’s lessons.
A real Pearl was the inspiration for Lifestages. She was Pearl Belchetz, whose daughter Deborah is the founder and executive director of Playwrights Project. Near the end of her life, Pearl entered a skilled nursing facility where the entire staff met as a group with each new resident to get to know her. When the head nurse started the conversation by asking Pearl how she met her husband, Pearl talked about their early years together for thirty-five minutes, nonstop. She was happy to share her memories with attentive listeners. In subsequent visits, Deborah noticed that many residents had stories to tell, though listeners were scarce.
That summer, Playwrights Project sponsored a playwriting course for writers from 16 to 60. The youngest student, Annie Weisman, showed remarkable talent. When Deborah encouraged her to submit a script to the California Young Playwrights Contest, Annie said, "I’d like to write a play, but I haven’t lived very long. I don’t have any stories to tell."
At four one morning, Annie’s comment popped into Deborah’s head as she worried about Pearl’s declining health. Click! Pearl had stories; Annie needed them. How about a program connecting the storytellers in our communities with actor/writers looking for material to dramatize? Shortly after Pearl’s death, her home hosted the first cycle of Lifestages.
Playwrights Project has dramatized hundreds of stories, from lives that span the entire century and reflect a rich history. As theatre professionals, we are fascinated by what moves people to action. We learn about the past, and the choices we face today, as we shape each storyteller’s memories into a monologue, scene, series of poems, fictional letters – whatever structure best captures the essence of the storyteller.
S and her actor/writer, a young man, wrote her vignette in the voice of her late husband, who described how deeply he loved S and enjoyed her beauty. After the peformance, the activities director wrote: The way you handled S’s story was brilliant, because she has always spoken through her husband. He also lived with us. He died about a year ago, and it's been a long, hard trial for S. Lifestages helped S get rid of the anger about his death. She can let go of that because of the appreciation and recognition she got that day.
M was an isolate. He had never been to a performance here before. He participated in hardly any activities. Doing this was a very big deal for him. Since then he has come to a band concert and come to see his video (the Lifestages performance). He is standing straighter, looking better, more open, feeling happier with his life. He is looking with different eyes.
We also provide Lifestages to private families who want to capture the stories of older members, perhaps as part of a birthday or anniversary celebration.
Thank you for the wonderful gift of a tangible memory of my grandpa...I loved the performance. T (the tenor who performed with the actor/writer) really captured his storytelling and singing. You both worked so well with Grandpa. It was great when you convinced him to sing at the end....(The tape) is a real treat we will all treasure.
Available in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas, Lifestages is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, foundations, individuals and participating sites.
