TFLL: We’re Linda and Rae, and this is Theatre for Lifelong Learning. Today our guest is Linda Lou. She is an Eastern medicine practitioner, a hairstylist, and a lifelong learner of everything. She has been taking Theatre Improvisation with Linda Lau via Zoom. Welcome, Linda.
Linda Lou: Thank you.
TFLL: Tell us how you got into theatre.
Linda Lou: There’s a theatre, [Brava for Women in the Arts], right down the street from my house where I live. When I was a teenager, I did a couple of projects there. So I’ve always kind of thought that I would do more of that.
And then I got kind of busy doing other things, but I always thought that eventually I would go back to doing more theatre-related things. Right now, doing the improv class one day a week on Saturday mornings is something that fits into my schedule. Hopefully when more of my life opens up, I will be able to do something more.
TFLL: What inspired you to take theatre improvisation?
Linda Lou: Improv is something I’ve always wanted to try. The groups that I did tech for as a teenager did sketch comedy and I was super interested in the way they used improv in their productions. I always thought that it would be valuable to take a class or two related to improv because it would help me learn how to think on my feet.
Before I started doing improv, I th[ought] things were more about memorization and execution. I like improv because it gives me a lot of freedom.
TFLL: Tell us your thoughts about collaborating with older adults to create theatre [when you are not an older adult].[MRE1]
Linda Lou: I really enjoy working with a large variety of people and I guess that does include age. I like when there is a nice variety of different types of people from different backgrounds.
I think that that is part of the reason why I was always drawn to theatre, because through theatre I was able to make friends with people who were so different. I really, really like that.
TFLL: What have you gotten out of taking theatre courses with older adults?
Linda Lou: It’s nice to be a part of the course because I see the health benefits of participating in these types of activities. We are doing things that engage your mind as well as your body. it’s nice to witness that, as well as participate in it.
It’s been nice to be able to turn somebody, an older adult I know, onto improv as well. I think it can make a big difference in somebody’s life to participate in this way, especially with COVID. There were changes in our routines that have left people a little bit more cut off from other people. Having this opportunity to have different types of people connect, even though it’s online, is a really good thing
TFLL: What are you challenged by in this class and what new skills have you developed?
Linda Lou: It’s a challenge to wake up early on a Saturday morning and then have to go to class. I’m always kind of trying to put something to eat together, and then make it to class semi on time.
The skills that I get out of taking a class like this are more attitudinal. I love being able to do these exercises that allow me to travel to different places in my mind or participate in different activities that I enjoy, even if only in my mind, but then my body is somewhat involved as well.
To me, the skill is a mental one. I don’t even know what I would call it. It’s like a creative skill. If somebody throws something at me, like a life issue that they’re dealing with, I feel more well-equipped to help advise them in a lot of ways, or come up with a creative solution in terms of how to deal with interpersonal conflicts that they’re having. I can help them role play it and help them to see how the way that they speak to me might make me feel.
I actually tried that in the park yesterday. It was really fruitful. My classmate is having an issue with the school and the Dean, and I did this role playing exercise with them. We went through it a couple of times. We talked about how to frame the situation to help them learn how to talk to me as if I was the other person.
That was a lot of fun. I think it helps the person to overcome some emotional blockages that occurred due to the situation.
TFLL: What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had in your theatre class with older adults?
Linda Lou: I really like the storytelling that we do. I like the traveling that we get to do. I liked that they were whitewater rafting down the Colorado River today. It was really cool. That’s something that I want to do in real life. Improv reminded me that there are things that I’m inspired to do.
TFLL: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received or given about theatre?
Linda Lou: I can’t recall what the best piece of advice I’ve gotten is, but if I were to give somebody advice, the best advice I could give them is: Just do it! It’ll make you happier. It’ll make you smarter. It’ll make you physically more active. It will make you more well-rounded. Just do it. You have to do it. If you don’t do it, you’ll regret it.
TFLL: Life is too short to be at home wishing about the things that you could have done.
Linda Lou: If I’m speaking to somebody, like a childhood friend or something, who has never tried theatre before, I would say that it really helps you expand as a person. Once you make that switch, it doesn’t take very much. If you enroll in a class once and you cross that line into theatre, your mind and existence just expands.
How do I describe it? It’s like if you’ve never eaten a soufflé before. Once you cross that line, your life has changed forever.
Photo Credit: Daniel Lobo, “Blue Lagoon,” Iceland, 2005