Featured Guest Writer: Vrenia Ivonoffski

The Estelle Craig ACT II STUDIO

We are awesome! It is a common refrain in our studio. Everyone is over 50 years of age, comes from all walks of life, and is surprised that the last chapters of life might be the most fulfilling and daring. We dare to value our long life experience and use it to create powerful theatre.

The Estelle Craig ACT II STUDIO, a component of Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement at The Chang School, is a theatre program and creative drama centre that has evolved since 1992 to become an extensive theatre program for older adults.

Each year ACT II STUDIO offers around 50 courses in acting, directing, and playwriting, taught by first-rate arts professionals, as well as learning activities such as playwrights’ hubs and readings, student-led and self-directed projects, and mini performances. In addition, four to five major productions, including the annual New Plays Festival, give students the opportunity to apply their skills.

Our most innovative work originates from play commissions by social science researchers who are looking to translate their work to the stage. We have toured plays to health centres, universities, conferences, and community hubs throughout North America, promoting awareness of serious issues and fostering change. For example, our current shows I’m Still Here! and No Longer Relevant?, which address dementia and ageism respectively, were funded by a grant from the William and Nona Heaslip Foundation. These two productions involve 42 of our students and some 50 performances a year. The actors attest to being deeply gratified by this work – “the most important work I’ve ever done,” said one cast member.

As a result, our students stay and stay. One-third have been with us for more than 15 years, and another third from 7–14 years. This unintended outcome has engendered a nurturing community and a skilled creative base for original work.

In 2010, we entered the Toronto Fringe Festival, garnering the Patron’s Pick at the Tarragon Theatre for Leacock Live! and a spot on the Toronto Star’s Top 10 list. We are back at the Fringe this summer with Mark Leith’s searing Dinner with Goebbels.

Upcoming shows include:

• 50+ Festival: STELLAR! New Theatre Works from ACT II STUDIO: May 31–June 1, Aki Studio, Daniels Spectrum Building
• Dinner With Goebbels: July 5–8 and 10–14, Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church (Program information will be available on the Fringe website on Monday, May 27. Tickets will be available starting Thursday, June 6.)

Vrenia Ivonoffski, MA (University of Toronto) is a director and playwright, the founding Artistic Director of ACT II STUDIO, and a professor of acting at George Brown College’s Theatre School. She graduated from Ryerson Theatre School's directing program after completing studies in Paris at the Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. She received a Ryerson GREET Teaching Award in 2005 and Theatre Ontario’s Maggie Bassett Award in 2014.

Happenings at The Chang School

Accessibility Project Showcase

On April 15, team members from the Caring Clown and I Was Here projects participated in the Accessibility Project Showcase. This event celebrated the accomplishments of the student and alumni teams who received funding through The Accessibility Project to develop innovative products, services, and solutions that will help to remove barriers and advance accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities and older adults.

Conversational Connections

Conversational Connections is a year-round joint program between Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement and English Language Support (ESL) at Ryerson University. The program matches international, exchange, and first-generation students with older adult volunteers to give students an opportunity to practice their conversational English outside of the classroom environment.

Conversational Connections recently received a New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) grant, which will be used to foster a face-to-face and online community where volunteers can get to know one another and share ideas and resources.

Upcoming Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement Courses and Events

Digital Media Workshop: Blogging

In collaboration with the Ryerson Library’s Digital Media Exchange Lab, Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement will be offering a Blogging Workshop. On May 24, 2019, learn the dos and don’ts of blog writing; discover the tips and tricks to building a personal brand through blogging; and try your hand at designing a blog.

2019 50+ Festival

This year the 50+ Festival brings you STELLAR!, a weekend of theatre featuring new works from The Estelle Craig ACT II STUDIO. On May 31 and June 1, 2019, ACT II STUDIO will showcase three Stella Award-winning plays and its latest social action theatre project. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take part in a unique and fun hands-on workshop to create a new theatre piece.

Summer Idea Exchange: Find the Right Volunteer Opportunity

On June 5, 2019, Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement will be holding its Summer Idea Exchange: Find the Right Volunteer Opportunity. Guest speaker Iona Frost will provide a look into the recruitment process, teach you how to connect with nonprofit organizations actively looking for volunteer support, and highlight the advantages older adults have in this market.

2019 Toronto Challenge

On June 9, 2019, Team Caring Clown will be participating in the 2019 Toronto Challenge to raise money for the Caring Clown program. For more information on how to donate or how to join Team Caring Clown, visit the Team Caring Clown: Toronto Challenge web page.

50+ Singers

Embrace your inner performer by becoming a member of the 50+ Singers (CSMU 110). This course gives you the opportunity to join a fun and lively group who love to sing. New members are always welcome, and each term concludes with a public singing performance.

For more information on any of these courses or events, email programsfor50plus@ryerson.ca or visit the Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement website.

National and International Awareness Months

May

• Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month: Cystic Fibrosis Canada
• Medic Alert Month: Medic Alert Foundation Canada
• Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month: MS Society of Canada
• Speech and Hearing Awareness Month: Speech-Language & Audiology Canada
• Vision Health Month: CNIB

June

• ALS Awareness Month: ALS Society of Canada
• Seniors’ Month: Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility

Did You Know?

Age on Stage: The Many Benefits of Theatre Arts for Older Adults

Older adults’ participation in theatre offers a variety of health and social benefits. In his article Age on Stage: The Many Benefits of Theater Arts for Older Adults, author Roscoe Nicholson outlines these benefits, including health and well-being, group relationships, learning and creativity, and the cultural values provided by older adults’ performances. This article is based on the findings of a literature review that was published in a 2016 edition of The Gerontologist entitled The Cultural Value of Older People’s Experiences of Theater-making: A Review.

Senior Theatre Resource Center

For over 20 years, older performers and their directors have turned to the Senior Theatre Resource Center for plays, books, materials, and workshops that charm audiences. The Centre provides the largest collection of plays, books, and other materials for older performers as well as information, news, and trends in the field.

Resources

Unpaid Caregivers

The Ontario Caregiver Coalition (OCC) provides a listing of provincial and federal organizations and agencies that offer resources and support for unpaid caregivers.

Elder Abuse Directory of Programs and Services

The Elder Abuse Ontario Directory of Programs and Services offers a database to assist seniors, families, caregivers, and service providers with the appropriate support and programs for older adults who have experienced or are at risk of abuse.

A Guide to Programs and Services for Older Adults

The Ontario government’s Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors provides information on resources available for older adults in Ontario, including tax credits, healthcare programs, caregiving, housing, driving, and safety.

Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement

Are you interested in meeting new people, building new skills, enhancing your existing knowledge, and remaining active during your retirement? Explore the various options offered by The Chang School’s Programs for 50+ and Community Engagement, including:

The Estelle Craig ACT II STUDIO

This theatre program and creative drama centre provides adults 50 and older with a positive, supportive community in which they can learn, create, and perform. Visit The Estelle Craig ACT II STUDIO website for more information.

LIFE Institute

Take courses and join study groups on a broad range of topics that include politics and international affairs, history and cultural studies, music, film, and art history. Find out what it truly means to live LIFE to its fullest. Visit the LIFE Institute website for more information.

Certificate in Aging and Gerontology

The Chang School’s Certificate in Aging and Gerontology provides an opportunity for professionals such as nurses and social workers, or anyone supporting or caring for older adults, to learn about gerontology and the field of aging.

Course Series in Leadership in Accessibility and Inclusion

Do you want to make a meaningful contribution to increasing inclusion and accessibility? The Chang School’s new program, Leadership in Accessibility and Inclusion, will expand your knowledge about policy and organizational changes and allow you to optimize accessibility in your workplace and community.

Feedback

Is there a topic you would like to read about in our next newsletter? Was there something you found informative in this edition?

Contact Darren Cooper, Accessibility Project Manager, at d5cooper@ryerson.ca to share your thoughts and suggestions.