Wild Thyme's senior theatre troupe, The Silver Stage Players, will host the Darnell Players from Atlanta for three performances of The Soundtrack of Our Lives, original biographical stories illustrated with music and pictures:
- Friday, May 31 at 1:00 PM at the O'Connor Senior Center
- Friday, May 31 at 7:00 PM at the Beck Cultural Center
- Saturday, June 1 at 7:00 PM at the Broadway Academy of Performing Arts (BAPA)
The Silver Stagers first met The Darnell Players at the bi-annual Senior Theatre USA Festival in Baltimore in 2008. They met again in 2012 at a New Orleans festival and began a collaboration based on their shared experience in storytelling performance. “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” is the result of months of work that became the first collaboration between the two seniors-only troupes.
"Music is an undeniable influence in our lives. The songs we hear during difficult or joyous moments affect the way we remember things," says Silver Stage playwright-in-residence Jeanette Stevens, "And storytelling helps people connect. We thought this project would be a wonderful way to bring our groups together, and share our stories with the community."
Admission for all performances is free, with $5 suggested donation. All proceeds from Friday evening's performance will go towards the Beck Cultural Center. All other funds raised will go towards the Darnell Players' travel expenses. For more information or to reserve seating, call 325-9877 or email director@wildthymeplayers.org.
The Silver Stage Players, an education/outreach program from the Wild Thyme Players, provide training and performance opportunities tailored specifically to senior artists. They are Tennessee’s only nationally recognized theatre group for senior actors. Members of Silver Stage write, produce and perform their own plays, tackling difficult senior issues with compassion and humor. They last performed in A Fire in the Furnace, a production of four original plays in June 2012, and in the Wild Thyme Players' stage combat exhibition, Duels & Desserts, last September.
The Darnell Players are based out of the Harriet G. Darnell Senior Center in Atlanta. Their director, Ms. Brenda Porter, works with other local playwrights and actors, leading the group in writing, directing and producing a myriad of entertaining pieces. Members of the group have performed at five national senior theatre festivals. The group currently consists of thirty members. For more on the Darnell Players, please visit their website!
