Assata Haki

Seminar: Research Topics in Theatre and Drama

Dr. Mary Anderson

Guiding Star Journal: Creative Aging: A New Field for the 21st Century

Abstract and Introduction

Beginning my dialogue from the Abstract, Larson, and Perlstein created a journal for Teaching

Artist that are working with older adults. The purpose is to provide important information to

TA's that are new to the field. I remember when I first began my internship as a theatre teaching

artist and I felt a little overwhelmed with all the information that I needed to learn. I began my

journal as a theatre teaching artist working with children with some of the most challenging at-

risk ones I might add. However, they prepared me and trained me on being sensitive, and open, Commented [G1]: Inserted: ,

but stern. There were children with home situations that were the root of classroom issues. The

students in most classrooms were multicultural and those that were immigrants found it

challenging to adjust to being in an American classroom, amongst any issues at home. Some had

learning challenges and these things spilled over into theatre projects that I have facilitated.

These classroom experiences taught me how to be a teaching artist that meet their students where Commented [G2]: Inserted: o
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they are and build and pull from that point. So when I began instructing theatre with older adults
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I felt well prepared and ready to work with people whom I assumed was fragile people. I was Commented [G6]: Deleted:wi
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wrong. They were not and are not fragile by any means. As I connect and dialogue within this

journal, I will share my journey with the Hannan Center theatre older adult students. Commented [G4]: Inserted: as
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I started working at Hannan Center in October of 2016 and I love it! Larson and Perlstein Commented [G9]: Inserted: at
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continue on in their introductory stating that teaching the arts is on the verge of a demographic

shift from youth to older adults and the arts benefits. This journal was written in 2003 and it Commented [G16]: Deleted:s

reported that in 1999 that there were 34.5 million, or 12.7% of the American population was over

the age of 65. It is said that by 2030, there will be even more Americans over the age of sixty-

five. The goal is to be healthier and productive with many developing a keen interest in older

adults. As I was reading these reports, my memory recalled a conversation that I had today at Commented [G10]: Inserted: as
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work. I entered into a co-workers office where she was having a conversation with another staff
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member within the building, just to say hello. We were introduced and we begin talking about Commented [G18]: Deleted:more

my work with the older adults in my theatre classes and engaging the cognitive, and exercising

the memory bank through theatre techniques and practices. She found what I was saying to be

very intriguing and wanted to hear more. I begin to share the research that I am doing in applied

theatre and cognitive health in older adults and she was like, "Oh My Goodness! Yes! We need

that! Would you like to facilitate workshops?" I heard what she was asking me but I found

myself feeling so excited about the work that I am doing with older adults and theatre! I gave her

my card and she said, " It would really help older people. I forget where I put my keys

sometimes. I would love to be a part of it." Here it is the year 2018 and this journal is so far

coming to pass. Organizations are coming together with the arts in witnessing the positive

impacts that it has on older adults social skills, and no isolation, communication skills, Commented [G12]: Inserted: the
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participating in ensemble work is one form practiced, mental exercises with improvisation and
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script work, and emotional well-being, feeling good about yourself with more confidence. I am Commented [G20]: Deleted:o
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not bragging, however, the work that I have done and continue to do with the senior adults is
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attracting performances outside of the building. These performances have been to showcase the Commented [G14]: Inserted: the
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skills that the students are gaining each term and with the hopes to inspire other older adults to

engage in the arts. After each arts showcase and or performance, there were at least three people

that wanted to know how to sign-up. I truly believe that by 2030, our sixty-five and older will be

healthier and even more productive.

The History of “Creative Aging”

This section shares the history behind creative aging and how it came to be. Perlstein took

programs into nursing homes, and senior care homes that consisted of arts-crafts and sing-alongs.

Perlstein wanted to bring in arts programs that would allow the older adults to connect with one

another and using their stories, history, culture and community with a platform to express them.

The year 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of Detroit’s 1967 Rebellion/Riot. We began the year

developing an applied theatre project that would give my senior adult students a platform to

share their stories, using their voices. The title of the project was, “Our Memories”. They

engaged in theatre exercises that took them on a journey in their past. Through explorative

techniques, including music from 1967, they were able to tap into their memory banks and pull

those memories out as if it had happen yesterday. There was one student that it took her too deep

and she didn’t like it and so she couldn’t complete the project. Theatre exercises are used to get

the actor to go within and explore ones creativity, mind, and even emotions and some may not

like what they rediscover about their lives or selves. For the most of my students, they loved

going down memory lane and being able to share their experiences. All of my students just love

my instruction and so when they reflect on their experience I have to read behind the

compliments to pull what they gained from it. Mr. Ramsey, over 70yrs old, stated that this

project allowed him to go back and think about the event that changed Detroit, but also about his

days a postman. He also stated how he enjoys the challenge of thinking using theatre to creative
and to explore areas in his life that he forgot about. Some of the students lived on the other side

of town away from the rebellion. They didn’t feel as if they had much contribution to the project

until they went deeper and recalled the tanks rolling down their streets in Detroit. The 67’

rebellion project affected each student performer in positive ways. The memory of the tanks was

a commonality that brought them together and began to match personal experiences from that

event. Theatre has also increased esteem and confidence. For instance, Ms. Maxwell always

displayed shyness which turned out to be low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. Participating

and engaging in the 67’ theatre project, Ms. Maxwell’s esteem and confidence increased

tremendously. She used to always face stage left while delivering her lines, but by the time they

performed at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African Americans, she was facing the front and

speaking loud and clear with confidence. Her performance was awesome because she was able to

connect with her story and not worry about what others were thinking about regarding her. This

project made all of the older adult students feel good about themselves and that their voices still

matter. There is power in sharing personal stories through theatre with others, especially older

adults. In 1979, Perlstein founded Elders Share the Arts, a blend of reminiscence and creative

arts.

Perlstein’s research began to also recognize that healthy aging requires more than the physical

the prevention of disease and had begun to focus on the quality of life for the aging adults.

Hannan Center started an off-site theatre class at a senior citizen building to help eliminate

isolation desires in most older adults, and especially those that attended the acting class. The

class lasted 15 weeks, and by the end of the class, older adult participants were meeting outside

of class and their apartments to rehearse and to socialize. The only man participant reflected after

their showcase how being in the acting class allowed him to get out of his apartment and do
something different. Another woman participant stated in her reflection after their final showcase

how coming to class improved her attitude towards others and how she responds to them as well.

There were comments from the participants about meeting or seeing people in their building that

they didn't even know lived there, but by being in the new habit of coming outside of their

apartments. I was happy that the arts grant for isolation prevention in older adults was very

successful to a higher degree of participating in their own lives. Commented [G24]: Inserted: , but
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Perlstein continues talking about the how arts created opportunities for the older adult Commented [G26]: Deleted:e

community to become engaged and productive. In my Thursday class at the Hannan Center, I

have about four students that have been participating in the arts programs there for over 15yrs.

Some were already storytellers, singers, and performers before I started instructing the class. At

one point I asked them why were they taking theatre now when they had been performing for

years. Christine, over 70yrs old, said, "You give us techniques that increase what we know and

we are improving our stage presence and presentations through your marvelous instruction". I

was grateful and humbled, but what I got out of their compliments was that they are learning

how to take theatre approaches, techniques, and warm-ups into their daily lives and apply them

outside of performing. Breathing exercises are my students top warm-up. This warm-up is taught

so that they can practice proper breathing in their personal lives. One of my students, Grace, who

is one of the 15-year veterans at Hannans, she loves to perform and it gives her something to Commented [G27]: Inserted: -
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look forward to each week, who also takes an art class. It improves their social lives and that
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increases their esteem, confidence, communication skills, and brighter emotions. I believe this is Commented [G30]: Deleted:ts

the connection hope for between neurons and cognitive functioning in Perlstein's findings.

Nearing the end of this section, Perlstein incites the question, how can TA’s measure their

outcomes? I am still in the learning process of recording sessions with my students. I have found
that video recording and voice recording are helpful tools to capture and recall arts engaged

activities and feedback from participants. I have my students reflect verbally, on video, and in

composition books. These options have allowed each of us, me as the instructor and them as the

participants, to be able to go back and read about the theatre art experience. Commented [G31]: Inserted: ve
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In conclusion of this section, Perlstein hopes that this article will stimulate the desire to create

more art programs for older adult communities, nursing homes, and residential facilities. This is

2018 and I can testify that the interest in arts and older adults have increased tremendously! I Commented [G35]: Deleted:s

started out teaching one class and because of the witnessed results, have been asked to teach off-

site acting classes, and coming in the spring/summer term, beginners and intermediate theatre

classes will be offered to older adults. It has also been reported that the older adults students

from fall 2017 have started their own drama group amongst themselves to continue to build on

their acting skills and as a way of socializing and keeping the arts alive in their lives. Commented [G33]: Inserted: ve
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The Current Need: A Call To Teaching Artists

"Teaching Artists have honed several core skills, and these skills will be essential in developing

"creative aging" programs". Larson and Perlstein believe that TA's know how to incorporate

educational goals, social aims, and their aesthetics that are beneficial to the well-being of older

adults who participate and engage in arts programs. I work hard to do my best through my

planning stages, implementation and approaches in order that their theatre experience will affect

them emotionally, socially, and their esteem levels. It is important that I instruct in a way that the

students can add certain exercises that can improve the quality of life in older adults through

theatre. The skills of TA’s play a vital part in designing successful art programs for older adults. Commented [G40]: Deleted:,
These successes develop high-quality art programs and this I have also found to be true. The

students at the Hannan Center has formed the Hannan Players, a traveling theatre group. This

came to pass when I began seeking venues for them to perform their 1967 Rebellion/Riot stories.

It grew as other staff in the building requested their presence for performance purposes. It is true

to the letter that the interest for arts and older adults are growing in larger numbers each year. I

mention this progress because I used my educational training and practitioners skills from my

pedagogy to engage my students in a way that unfolds within them that they are still important to Commented [G39]: Inserted: -
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society and still have a voice that others listen and tune in to. Teaching Artist can be very
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successful in the field of arts and aging or creative aging in ways that classroom educators may

not be able to accomplish because TA’s can be more personal than impersonal to our students.

This makes a difference because we want our students to be engaged and to participate and so

our goal is to assure the art experience is best for all.

Working With Older Adults: Key Considerations

In this section, Larson and Perlstein talk about how to be sensitive to the older adult students or

participants in arts program and workshops. This wasn't hard to adjust to at all. I had worked

with youth for the first 3 years of my practice. Young students are very sensitive. Any little thing

will hurt their feelings and or make them feel embarrassed. So I was capable of working with the Commented [G44]: Deleted:s

senior citizen students. At first, I thought that I would have to be too careful because some are on
canes, on a scooter, and suffer from nerve issues. However, Ms. Grace Blakely told me on my Commented [G43]: Inserted: ,

first day, “I don’t need no help! I can move by myself! I still drive myself where I want to go!”. I

know that it has to do with being independent all of her life, but it was to show me that she is

able to continue to take care of herself even on a cane and swollen legs.

I also experienced older adults feeling like they don't have much to contribute, especially when

we worked on their personal 1967 Rebellion stories. I would find myself always reassuring them

that they have plenty to offer. Ms. Grace lived on the other side of town during the riot and didn't

experience anything horrific. I told her to tell what she remembers and she wrote almost three

pages. We had to edit, and edit, and edit, and improvise off of her story. She said, "I never

thought that it was a big deal and I felt like my story was boring!". Ms. Grace gave a memorable Commented [G45]: Inserted: s

performance that had a touch of humor as well. It is in the encouragement by example. Pulling

from them anything to spread on the table and then sorting and matching as we do our socks and

things. There were others that weren't too sure of my applied theatre methodologies, but they

jumped in with both feet and are in love with being able to tell their stories using dramatics, and

other theatre plays to create performances for the community, family, and friends. Commented [G46]: Inserted: ere
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This section includes how to not to scold them for not attending classes and or for not

participating. I agree, and yet I use my instincts to draw on ways to get the ones that are shy to

participate. Whenever I facilitate a new class and or workshop, I use theatre games. This always

loosens them up and makes them feel more comfortable while having fun. I just began a new

basic acting class with older adults on as an off-site project through Hannan Center and Ms. J, I

will call her, the second week she attended class she told me how she had been waiting since the

last class for my return. She stated that this class allows her to get out of her apartment and that I

make it easy because I have allowed her grandchildren to seat and watch so that she wouldn't Commented [G49]: Deleted:s
miss the class due to babysitting. Ms. V, I will call her, she is also one of my newest students, Commented [G48]: Inserted: s

she told me she was very shy and didn’t like to get up in front of others to speak. The first day I

used an exercise with tongue twisters and had the students to say them three times as dramatic as

they can each time. Honey, Ms. V got up and she gave attitude! She later told me that she

enjoyed that exercise and that she couldn’t believe that she was able to do it and that she truly

liked the exercise! I never want to lose a student and yet I know that theatre isn’t for everyone. I

can only hope that they return the following week, and some don’t but some visit. Lol.

Sensory Deprivation Experiment

In this section, the authors share an experiment that involved spreading Vaseline onto a pair of

glasses and try to conduct activities such as making a phone call. The purpose of this information

is to inform Teaching Artist to be sensitive and aware of older adults limited physicality’s and Commented [G50]: Inserted: ing
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making necessary accommodations. There may be participants that have limited movement, the

mobility of motion, hearing difficulties, and or problems hearing clearly. When I first began Commented [G51]: Inserted: the

working with older adults, I noticed that they had canes, drove scooters, and walked slowly. I

knew that I could not facilitate the same theatre exercises and games that I facilitate with my

youth participants. I contemplated on how can I still incorporate some form of physical work that

is done in theatre classrooms/rehearsal rooms. I decided to introduce my older adult students to

Chekov's five P G's(Psychological Gestures), but only the ones that required more upper

movement than their lower selves. I introduced the tear, pull, push, embrace, and strike. The tear

requires actors take both fists to the chest area and tear as if they were doing the Michael Jackson

move. The pull and push proved to be a little challenging but I didn't pressure them to move
faster than their bodies would allow. The push and pull required one-foot movement and either Commented [G52]: Inserted: s

you push forward with both hands with the mental/emotion connecting to their lines and or pull,

with each hand starting at your side and then pulling them back with one right foot stepping

backward. Finally, I took them through the strike PG with the right hand starting behind and with

a little force, throwing the hand forward, pointing sharply in front of the student. My students Commented [G53]: Inserted: m
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found them to be challenging because they all aim to be perfect, however, using the PG's as an
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exercise to aid them in connecting with their script was a bigger help than I thought. I had them Commented [G58]: Deleted:s
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all take one line and a PG, and perform it and they made some connections and had a clearer

understanding of the importance of Chekov's PG's in theatre warm-ups and or exercises. It didn't

strain their bodies and they are always encouraged to do what they can and not to ever overstrain

themselves. I added another physical exercise for my older adult students called, Gaze. Gaze is

an exercise in which everyone walks around the room and there are three gazes to engage. The

purpose I found in this exercise is to become aware of your inward thoughts, your external

awareness, and your awareness of the environment/space. One student reflection on this exercise

was that she didn't know that there was a difference in how you look within and outwardly that

connects to an emotion. However, I realized that this was a little too much for most of them and

that they would grow tired or lose their breath. I didn't want them to harm themselves and so I

discontinued this exercise. Commented [G55]: Inserted: of

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This section also shares the knowledge of sensory memories. This is when many older adults that

are engaging in the arts memories are triggered by one or more of their senses. Music triggers Commented [G61]: Inserted: f
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and heighten the sense of sound, paintings can excite perceptions and promote expression on

what is being seen, for example. As I mentioned earlier, my students created an awesome

intergenerational performance for the community of Detroit in 2017. I found it to be inspirational

if they listen to music from that era of 1967, using the Gaze exercise to trigger memories, and

then they wrote words on a board that came to mind. They were then instructed to use the words

from the board and began to paint on a blank small canvas anything visual that came from the

thoughts or memories of the 67' Rebellion/riot. This exercise proved to be very effective to all of

my students. The music, the words that symbolized their emotions from that event brought up

pleasurable thoughts that created portraits of timelines from 1967-2017, a 50-year journey of

their lives on canvas. It was a great exercise and they made their artwork a prop in their

performance. My students are not dementia patients or participants, they are all over 70 and use Commented [G62]: Inserted: -

art as a second coming after the age 60.

Living with Loss: Living History Arts

Author’s, Larson and Perlstein addresses the loses that older adults encounter through their aging

process. The loss of loved ones, social positions, and all that was in their past. The arts can bring

vitality in those areas to those older adults that participate in art programs. I wasn’t aware of the

power of the arts and how it actually has an impact on some older adults mental and emotional

states of being. I facilitated a basic acting class with older adults within their apartment building.

The purpose of an offsite class was to eliminate or decrease isolation in older adults lives. I had a

student who found herself feeling sad and alone because every week she was losing friends and

loved ones to death. She revealed to the class one day during check-ins that my class gives her

joy just to think about having somewhere to go where there is a joy instead of tears. She also

stated that her classmates and me, her instructor gave her purpose and a positive outlook on

losing her loved ones. She is the one who developed peace from the breathing exercises/warm-

ups. Because of her experience and being uplifted by the theatre group, I decided to make sure

that all my older adult classes begin with a check-in. Commented [G64]: Inserted: a
Tapping into memory: One way that was found to be very effective was interviewing the

participants as a form of tapping into their memories. Where many aging adults think that they

have just lost their memories, they are actually stored in an archive of the mind and this is a form

of seeking and finding them. It was amazing how much my students remembered as they began

to tap into the memories of 1967. They remember the tragic event as if it had happened the day

or week before. The emotions were real and interviewing them brought back memories of some

good times as a child before the riot broke out. There was a division between blacks and whites,

but it was also a time when black people looked out for one another and children were still able

to play safely outside. Some could remember the smell of pancakes in the morning that their

mother had prepared. One of my students, who has since made her transition, stated that she Commented [G65]: Inserted: a
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didn’t even know that she remembered the details of that event and that it was emotionally
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overwhelming for her. I have continued to use applied theatre and storytelling as part of our

creative process in order to get them to tap into their memory banks and connect that world with

today’s world that they are living presently. I find that it is important to engage my older adults

with cognitive exercises and warm-ups to keep their minds from rusting and in hopes of adding

joy from the past and decrease aging anxieties that may exist in them. The Isabella Nursing

Home NF3 Group, on April 5th, 2002, facilitated a sensory poetry session and they created

poems that stimulated the memories of the participants. I will add this to my list of activities as it

seems to be a good project with my students. I use storytelling as an avenue for my students to

share their stories and wisdom through theatre. We use monologues and parallel personal

situations to them to bring home the message and to display how life imitates art and art imitate

life. This engages the memory bank, exercises their cognitive muscles, and it allows them to Commented [G70]: Deleted:s

remember fun things that they once did once upon a time. This section continues to talk about the Commented [G72]: Deleted:g
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effects on the participants and the audience members that watch them perform. I decided after Commented [G67]: Inserted: ntinu
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my students first in-house performance that it would be an even better experience for their
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esteem and confidence if they were able to showcase around the community. Well, needless to

say, it happened! I created the Hannan Players, a traveling theatre group. The first time that they

performed was at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American and then at Wayne State

University’s, Studio Student Theatre. The audience members were very impressed and many had

stated afterward how they had suppressed the events of 1967 and how their stories brought back

memories. Some were good and some weren’t, but the emotion from their performance was

overwhelming.

Conclusion:

“The arts can combat the isolation our older adults face, nurture their self-discovery, and

enhance physical, psychosocial, and cognitive well-being. Older adults need this field…and so

do we.” Larson and Perlstein

As a Theatre Teaching Artist working with the older adult population, I have learned that they

have much to share and that aging doesn't stop any shows from going on and their weekly

attendance demonstrates the importance of arts in their lives. Since I my students began taking

their show on the road, it has opened up many more doors for my art form to have an opportunity

to touch others and bring activity to more aging adults lives. The organization that I am currently

contracted to teach theatre has extended my class from once a week, to an offsite project each

term, expanded my theatre course, creating beginners and an intermediate class, and found Commented [G74]: Inserted: s
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money to continue a part two with my fall basic acting class during my winter semester this year.
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I am ecstatic about the doors that are opening up for the aging community and arts. Hannan Commented [G75]: Inserted: c
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Center has more than theatre, but my work has impressed the powers that be because of my

compassion and passion used to enhance their theatre experience. This journal has been a great

instrument in confirming that the arts are growing as a benefactor for the whole of older adults

well-being and quality of life. They began as stated early in my writing in the year 2003 and it

2018 and the arts continue to reach higher heights of importance to the community of aging

adults, medical workers, therapist, and aging facilities around the country.