There should be a lot of knowing nods from many of the senior audience members during performances of “Old Enough to Know Better: Aging Well in Sarasota.” After all, this mostly engaging original show created by Florida Studio Theatre, is drawn from interviews with nearly 100 Sarasota residents about what it’s like to get older.
Sally Bondi, left, and Dan Higgs share stories of Sarasotans talking about getting older in "Old Enough to Know Better: Aging Well in Sarasota" at Florida Studio Theatre. Photo provided by FST
The documentary theater piece assembled by director Jason Cannon has been in development for more than two years and has gone through many changes since I first saw a reading of an earlier version last year. Some patrons had complained that the the show was either too light or too serious (and some were probably upset that their personal stories weren’t included).
The 80-minute version now being presented in Bowne’s Lab as part of the theater’s Stage III Lab, has a light, upbeat tone, filled with brief witticisms, humorous lines and just a dash of touching stories. A lot of it will seem familiar, though occasionally surprising. I would have liked a little more of the surprising (or maybe I’m just older than I think).
“Grandchildren are God’s reward for not killing your own kids,” one man says with a smile. “I figure to admit I’m over 52, even if that makes my sons illegitimate,” a woman says about trying to hide her real age.
Bob Mowry, left, and Katelyn McKelley, are among the actors sharing the voices of Sarasotans talking about aging in the Florida Studio Theatre premiere of "Old Enough to Know Better: Aging Well in Sarasota." PHOTO PROVIDED BY FST
The material and structure make it highly reminiscent of a non-musical version of “Taking My Turn,” which took similar interviews with senior citizens and turned them into stories and songs. (The musical was a long-running hit for Theatre Works, the building that has been transformed into FST’s Gompertz Theatre.) There’s even one line that sounds almost the same: “Old is always 20 years past where I am.” Such lines have an impact on people of every age, because we can all recognize the feelings, even as we learn what seniors (and others) are thinking.
The show is divided into brief sections beginning with the interview sessions; questions about how a numerical age reflects how you see yourself; driving; companionship; dating; sex; and death, among a few others.
It’s lightly staged, with eight cast members seated on metal chairs holding scripts in black binders and standing when it’s their turn to talk. There’s a constant shock of recognition for older patrons who will see themselves in many of the stories, and from younger audience members who can have a better expectation of what lies ahead or see their own changing relationships with their parents.
The sections are introduced with short sayings by a variety of noted people, from Helen Keller to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Groucho Marx and Winston Churchill
“I intend to live forever or die trying,” Groucho once said, while Albert Pike is quoted as saying, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies within; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
Lonetta Gaines is one of the actors sharing stories about what it's like to get older in the premiere of Florida Studio Theatre's "Old Enough to Know Better." PHOTO PROVIDED BY FST
But the show could also use a bit more depth. There are snippets that might stir a tear or two as the characters talk about loneliness after the death of their spouse or partner, but the stories don’t last long enough to make them more meaningful. A few slightly longer scenes might provide a fuller picture of the aging experience.
If there are specific or recurring characters, it’s not always clear in the performances, though the actors do bring some sensitivity and humor to the material. The cast features Sally Bondi, Nicu Brouillette, Alison Campbell, Lonnetta M. Gaines, Dan Higgs, Katelyn McKelley, Bob Mowry and TJ Patrick.
The show marks the debut of what FST has said will be an ongoing series of projects to create original shows that explore the lives of people in our area and sharing them in a theatrical way.
THEATER REVIEW
OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER: AGING WELL IN SARASOTA
Assembled and directed by Jason Cannon. Reviewed July 30, Florida Studio Theatre Bowne’s Lab, 1247 First St., Sarasota,. Through Aug. 9. Tickets are $34-$36. 366-9000; floridastudiotheatre.org
