It's a first. St. Albert Public Library has invited GeriActors and Friends to bring their novel brand of theatre to the city. The intergenerational company, a cocktail of seniors, caregivers and university students, will perform two programs on May 21. GeriActors is producing an original short titled Washing along with a three- minute snippet of The Seeing Heart, a dance produced with CRIPSiE, a radically different performers' society that is run by artists who experience disabilities.
It's a first. St. Albert Public Library has invited GeriActors and Friends to bring their novel brand of theatre to the city.
The intergenerational company, a cocktail of seniors, caregivers and university students, will perform two programs on May 21.
GeriActors is producing an original short titled Washing along with a three- minute snippet of The Seeing Heart, a dance produced with CRIPSiE, a radically different performers' society that is run by artists who experience disabilities.
“Both works are similar in content,” says Becca Barrington, GeriActors associate director. “We create art through community stories. With CRIPSiE we really want to explore how we do things similarly and how we can come together.
The main play is the 30-minute Washing, a tale of how laundering clothes in different countries can take many forms. But fundamentally it explores the labour and contributions of women.
The 12-member GeriActor troupe, that includes St. Albert actors John Grootelaar and Liz Allchin, write scripts based on stories from past experiences.
Washing was actually inspired by one of the company members from western England. Back in the old country, she lived in a tenement and recounted how laundry day was carried out in a communal back yard.
“Imagine kids fighting their way through all the wash on lines,” laughs Barrington.
Another member spoke about life in Trinidad and how the weekly washing was conducted under the house in a concrete tub.
One more actor mentioned washday in Athabasca meant melting snow for the tub, scrubbing clothes and hanging them out to dry only to discover they'd stiffened.
Yet another member spoke about how technology changed the weekly ritual from an all-day event to quick short bursts here and there.
“They are basically a bunch of stories woven together and everyone is involved in certain scenes. At times they tell the stories and then they have chorus moments.”
In total, Washing combines six stories.
“It's a wonderful learning experience. When we tell stories, we share stories of our memories and we see ourselves in these memories. And something magical happens when you get different generations together. It's important to learn the stories, knowledge and wisdom from different generations.”
Preview
Washing and The Seeing Heart<br />GeriActors and Friends<br />May 21 at 2 p.m.<br />St. Albert Public Library<br />5 St. Anne Street<br />Free: First come, first served
