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From Issue #5 - Summer 2004
RT for Seasoned Citizens
It's a Wonderful World of Senior Theatre!
By Gordon P. Bigalke

In previous article you read about organizing and selecting materials. Now you will want to promote the troupe to prospective members.

We accept all who wish to join us and have not had any problems with membership. In the six years since we started we have 3 of our original group (including our founder, Dorothy Arnett) pass away. Two have moved away, two on to other pursuits which leave them little time for rehearsals and currently we have 3 reserve members who are either recuperating from illnesses or come when we need extra help. We have enough members so that if someone cannot make a performance we can easily cover for them. Our roles are interchangeable and part of the fun is playing different roles in the same skit at different times. We also find that we can often substitute (or switch) the gender of roles when called for in the various cast requirements.

We are all seniors and have come to the troupe from many different backgrounds and experiences. I thought it might be fun for you to hear from some of the different members, so here goes….

Barb Carlstrom:
Barb was one of our original members who joined the group to keep drama in her life (so she says!) She really appreciates the chance to perform without having to memorize! Barb taught school in Standish, Michigan as a media specialist and has directed many plays both for the Bay City Players and for the Northeastern Michigan group at Standish. She says, "anyone who has a good sense of humor, likes to laugh and wants to enjoy life, should join a group like ours.' Barb is our program chair and helps schedule requests for performances.

Keith Nelson:
Keith is retired from Consumer's Energy Company and is our resident jokester. He didn't complete the interview so he will have to be satisfied with whatever I choose to write about him. Keith joined our group after appearing in the Players production of "1776" and observing how much fun we had. He likes to tell jokes (even when not on stage) and has a "million of them" or at least so it seems.

Mary Krzyzaniak:
One of the original members, Mary adds her special sparkle to most of our performances. She also helps behind the scenes for the Bay City Players and spends part of year in Florida, but is always there when we need her. Mary is proud of her family; especially the Grandchildren, which also enjoy hearing her, perform. Mary is one of our librarians and keeps our many scripts in order.

Esther Kuenker:
Esther says she was asked to join by Dorothy, our founder, and by Barb (who you met above.) She is active in many plays performed in the regular season at the Bay City Players but also finds time for us (and we are so glad!) She and Marge share the responsibility as our "Directors" selecting the "plays" and "skits" we perform and assigning roles (not and easy job!) She says the troupe gives her a chance to "act" and to be with some really great people. We can't think of a better reason and think that she is "really great," too! Esther is a retired "Schoolmarm."

Gene Gillette:
Dr. Gillette is a retired educator. Gene joined the troupe two years ago because he enjoys theatre and performing. Reader's Theatre gives him a wide audience and many chances to perform for groups that really enjoy his special talent. He says the most interesting part of being a member of the "Recyclables" is the many new friends he has made and he recommends this activity to anyone who likes "being on stage." His great "stage presence" make his the perfect one to introduce our many programs.

Marj Anderson:
Retired as Director of the Bay City YWCA and leader of the local "Weight Watchers" group. She came to the group because her friend Dorothy Arnett asked her to. We are really glad she came to us as a regular member. She has also branched out into several performances in the Players regular season shows. Marj especially enjoys the interaction with the other members and the consistent opportunity to perform…and to bring entertainment to many groups in the community. Marj shares the "Director's" responsibility with Esther and helps select the numbers for our performances.

Carol Huskins:
Carol is retired from the Bay Area Catholic Schools. She came to the troupe because her friend, Esther, asked her to join. Now she is one of our most avid members. She considers everyone in the troupe a friend and especially enjoys the interaction during rehearsals and performances. Carol says the troupe has been very good for her and we enjoy her just as much! She says one of the best things is being able to bring smiles to the faces of the many people who enjoy our programs. Carol shares the responsibility of Librarian with Mary.

Now that you have met several of our troupe members, you can see we come from a variety of backgrounds. We all share the interests of performing, enjoying each other and the opportunity to bring some joy to the many groups in our community who need entertainment. The troupe gives each of us the chance to share our special talents and meet lots of new friends. Beside the friendship the group offers, is the special advantage of "Reader's Theatre," which allows us to continue to perform without the task of memorizing the scripts. We would encourage anyone who fits those descriptions to search out your local theatre group and either join a group - or start one!

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