stages musicals, comedies and dramas with largely older adult casts and creative teams (ages 50+), presented for a general audience. Launched in 2021, it is the only company of its kind in Northeast Ohio. “Senior theater” is, indeed, a thing. There are over 800 known companies worldwide dedicated to this idea. Older adults comprise a high percentage of the audience for arts and culture fare, but t
hey are not as often participants as the creators of arts and culture content, particularly on the
theatrical performance side. offers new opportunities and provides a meaningful creative and social outlet for older adults. launched in September 2021 with a production of “Cabaret” followed by “La Cage Aux Folles” (“The Birdcage”) in April 2022, “Scrooge” in December 2022 and “Guys & Dolls” in May 2023, “Scrooge: The Musical” in December 2023, DISASTER: The Musical in May 2024 and White Christmas in December 2024/ Additionally, the company is taking advantage of the micro-venue space provided in Wild Oscar’s to present one- and two-person productions. The venue opened in January 2022 with a three-week, sold-out run of Uniontown actor Steve Scioti’s one-man play, “Hear What in the Heart: A Shoemaker’s Tale,” based on his experiences growing up in an Italian American family. Theater taps into a growing movement called “creative aging.” While older adults comprise a large percentage of the arts and culture audience (theaters, symphonies, museums), they are not as often the makers of arts and culture content, especially when it comes to casting in community theater productions. wants to change the playing field. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, “Abundant evidence shows that arts participation improves the emotional well-being of older adults, supports good health, strengthens social bonds and brings a heightened experience of purpose and joy to our lives as we mature. However, older adults all too often experience the effects of ageism, isolation and limited access to meaningful arts learning experiences.”
The Civic has joined a growing number of arts organizations and social service agencies in Summit County that want to facilitate creative aging programming “as an antidote to isolation, an affirmation of life and a pathway to flourishing for older adults.” For patrons, these three theater programs bring diversity, texture and a multitude of new voices to the menu of theater experiences in our market. THE POWER OF MAKING THINGS TOGETHER
One of the important lessons we have learned through our theater programs is the awesome power of "people making things together." One recent poignant example comes from BOOM! Theater's production of "Cabaret" in September 2021. "Cabaret" was BOOM!'s first production. Rehearsals began in early August, and the creative team got to know the cast pretty quickly. Making theater with others is an intensely collaborative undertaking and "Cabaret" takes on serious subject matter. As rehearsals began, the staff was struck by the diversity among the cast — somewhat by the demographics, but considerably more so by the “psychographics.” The older adult cast represented a wide range of religious and
political positions and lifestyles, and in light of the current climate in the country, we wondered whether a group so diverse in these ways would be able to work well together. Well, they worked together beautifully. Their shared commitment to and enthusiasm for the common purpose never wavered. Throughout the process, they helped each other, taught each other and even fed each other. The production’s music director said at the end of the run that, for her, the most important outcome of the project was that this very diverse group of people came together, set aside any potential differences and made something good together. There is tremendous power in the act of "making things together." It's an important social act, an act of community, a bonding, sometimes healing and hopeful experience for those who participate as theater-makers, which then extends itself to theatergoers. The Civic wants to continue to build strong theater programs that enrich lives. Every season is an opportunity for our programs to improve and expand and for theater-makers and theatergoers to grow. Over the long-term, the Civic would like to keep creating opportunities for people to "make things together" that they can proudly share with the community, on stage and beyond.
