TFLL: Hello, we are Linda and Rae, and this is Theatre for Lifelong Learning. Our guest today is Simon. Simon is a retired organic farmer with a bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She has worked in various media over the years, including ceramics, stained glass, and jewelry-making. She’s also taken several different theatre-related classes with me. Welcome, Simon.
TFLL: Tell us how you got into theatre.
Simon: I’ve always enjoyed going to the theatre as an audience member. One of the early classes I took with Linda was History of the Theatre, which I thought would be educational and entertaining. And it was. I met some interesting people there, so I just continued on and as Linda’s classes evolved, I just kept coming.
TFLL: How has taking theatre courses helped you?
Simon: I think the main things are that it definitely stimulates your imagination and you meet some interesting people. And particularly, in this time when we’re mostly staying at home, it’s a chance to socialize.
TFLL: How do you think theatre courses and theatre can help older adults?
Simon: Well, I think, for the same reason that it’s been good for me: stretching your mind, using your imagination, and meeting some interesting people that hopefully eventually you’ll actually meet in person. Someday.
TFLL: What’s your favorite type of theatre class that you’ve taken?
Simon: The current class that we’re taking, the improv class, is the most varied. The different activities really kind of keep you on your toes.
TFLL: What do you most want to get out of taking a theatre class?
Simon: I think the entertainment value is actually quite valuable. We wind up doing a lot of laughing and that’s supposed to be the best medicine for what we’re going through.
There are a lot of the activities in live class that were easier because you got a lot of physical cues from being actually in person. Aside from the technical difficulties, which you also have with Zoom, it’s definitely more challenging. Even sometimes just hearing what people are saying is a problem. So the in-person classes, I look forward to coming back to those. In-person is a more immersive experience.
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TFLL: What are you challenged by and also what new skills have you developed through theatre practice?
Simon: I think being able to think on my feet and come up with the next response. As you practice these different activities, you get better.
TFLL: How do you apply the skills that you’ve developed in theatre courses into other parts of your life?
Simon: That’s a tough one. I just think of getting your mind working and exploring topics in different directions. You can apply that to any other aspect of life, like information that’s incoming from the news or books I’m reading or movies I’m watching. I remember one thing for sure that we learned early on, in one of Linda’s classes. was upping the ante.
And now, when I’m watching a movie, something happens and I think, “Oh that’s it! We’re up at the next level. Things have gotten more serious and more dangerous.” I’m more aware of those jumps in a book or a movie.
TFLL: Absolutely. Raising the stakes makes you more invested in the story.
Simon: Raise the stakes! That happened right away as soon as we discussed that in class. The next movie I watched I said, “Oh no, they raised the stakes.”
TFLL: What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had in a theatre class?
Simon: When we did a continuous story, it was very challenging when we used to do it with one word at a time, because people often went off the tracks. We couldn’t figure out how the heck did they come up with that word after my word. But when we’re doing it sentence by sentence, every once in a while, we really kind of get into a rhythm. It’s almost as if it were written by a single person so that’s pretty interesting.
TFLL: Do you have any particular story that you remember?
Simon: Probably not.
TFLL: During spontaneous storytelling sometimes it’s right there and you’re so engaged the moment and it all disappears.
Simon: If you ask me what we did in class last week I probably would not have a good answer for you. I do remember something about cookies.
TFLL: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received or given about theatre?
Simon: I think the advice that I would give is: keep an open mind when going to see a production. Don’t prejudge it based on the subject matter or previous productions. Just keep an open mind, because, by the end of it, you may change your mind.
What would you tell someone who’s never taken a theatre course?
Simon: I would say, keep an open mind, give it a try. You don’t know how much fun you might have or what you might learn. So why not?
Photo Credit: Kenneth Mundell, “Shark of the Deep,” 2020