description

GeriActors & Friends (Edmonton, Canada) is an intergenerational theater company organized by a group of older people seeking ways to become involved with theater. Through instructional lessons led by a professor of Theater Arts at the University of Alberta, participants with little to no acting experience learned how to write and perform short plays based on actual experiences. They later became more improvisation-based and involved university students. One company member reflected on the group’s intergenerational approach: “To have people from different generations come together and build something, to belong, to pick lines and change lines, it’s like nothing else.”

During COVID-19, GeriActors & Friends developed audio plays, or “AudioGeris,” as a new way to share stories and connect with audiences. Beyond their regular performances and audio plays, GeriActors & Friends also provides weekly workshops for other older adults.

Access resource