PLAYful Drama

We're well into rehearsal for our next dramatic production here at our life enriching senior community. The members of the drama club range in age from eighty to ninety five. We're an ambitious group to be sure. There are just a few trials, probably due to age. Okay. Mainly due to age.

Our new play is about a murder at a wedding. I play the mother of the bride. I'm really pleased about this because since my youngest son was recently married, I have the dress. Imagine being the mother of the groom at age 85. But now I get to wear the dress again.

There are no scripts for our play as no one can memorize. So, at each rehearsal we just wing it. This makes for a rather interesting presentation.

We welcome anyone who wishes to be in our drama club. Therefore we have members at all stages of aging. Take one of the wedding guests who is 94, on a walker and loves to ramble on about anything other than what's in his script. We are definitely planning on having the hook available for him.

Our Alzheimer member usually forgets who she is in the play and often actually forgets who she is in this incarnation.

The bartender at the reception is hard of hearing and never picks up his cues. He invariably trips over his oxygen cord as well as his lines.

The father of the bride is young. I mean it. He's one of our maintainance fellows and is in his forties. I'm his ex-wife. His present wife is my age. Goodness, this guy really wanted to be on stage.

The grandmother of the bride, who is known a a prankster, staggers down the aisle on her three-pronged cane and sits down on a whoopie cushion. What a toot! That should send the audience rushing for air.

The youngster who plays the father of the bride is supposed to give his mother a stern look for her social error. Instead he always collapses into such hysterical laughter we are forced to rescue him with the bartender's oxygen tank.

The wedding planner is 96. She rarely remembers to show up for rehearsals. When she does come, she rushes in shouting her lines no matter where we are in the script.

I don't know how this play will turn out. In the past, we've always come together at the last minute, and the residences in our senior community fight for a seat at our performances. They love to see us make complete fools of ourselves. Whew! Are they desperate for entertainment or what.

Not to worry. Though this may age our community staff, This keeps the rest of us young.