This story first appeared in Prestige - May 2024, a biannual special section distributed in The Gazette dedicated to Iowans 55+.

From left: Jon Day, Kathleen Weiss and Barb Arceneaux perform in Mirrorbox Theatre’s production of "The Way We Say Goodbye" by Donna Gay Anderson. Submitted photo.

The Mirrorbox Theatre’s Gold Program gives seniors a chance to get back on the stage — or try out acting for the first time. Providing this unique opportunity was founder and producing artistic director Cavan Hallman’s vision.

“When we opened, there were already all kinds of great opportunities and classes for young people in the Corridor, but nothing focused specifically on the 60-plus community,” Hallman said. Many of the performers have spent a lifetime developing their skills, and Hallman wanted to provide a way to showcase them. “And not just as someone’s grandma or grandpa,” he said.

Mirrorbox, a nonprofit theater that opened in 2018, is currently in its sixth season. They’re Iowa’s only theater company presenting contemporary plays in their Iowa premieres. Since its inception, Hallman wanted to avoid duplicating what other theaters in the area are already doing well.

“You’re not going to see something you saw at another theater,” Hallman said.

Audience members attending a Gold Program performance are also likely to see some new faces. About 15 percent of the 100 or so people who have participated in the program were new to theater, according to Hallman. That includes some folks who have worked behind the scenes but felt inspired to try out their skills onstage once they had more free time.

Others joined after hearing about the program through educational outreach that Hallman coordinates. Currently, there’s a monthly theater workshop at Meth-Wick Community Senior Living, where staff lead discussions about theater. In the near future, he hopes to expand to other senior facilities in the area.

The program consists of six to seven performances per year, usually Thursdays through Sundays. All of the shows are in reader’s theater format, which makes the productions a little bit more relaxed and less time-intensive for the performers. Actors read aloud from scripts, which eliminates the need for memorization and greatly reduces the number of rehearsals. There are no set pieces, so lights and sounds are used to create a theatrical experience.

Hallman said this format opens up theater for those who might have motility or memory issues.

“After one performance, the director shared that a particular actor, who had spent their lifetime performing, wouldn’t have been able to participate without these accessibility measures. That comment alone made it worth doing,” he said.

A promo shot of Rip Russell and Jon Day for Mirrorbox Theatre’s production of "Bette & Kate Join the Line.” Submitted photo.

From left: Jane Pini, Kathleen Weiss, Traci Rezabek and Barb Arceneaux perform in Mirrorbox Theatre’s production of "The Way We Say Goodbye" by Donna Gay Anderson. Submitted photo.

From left: Jean Grewe, Kathleen Weiss, Steve Weiss, Denise Allamand, Brian Anderson and Jeri Stodola rehearse for Mirrorbox Theatre’s production of "United Plays of America: Midwest Edition” by Claudia Haas. Submitted photo.

Jon Day, a Mirrorbox Gold Program performer, echoed the comments about accessibility for “seasoned” theater folks. “The shorter time commitment is part of the appeal,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not creatively challenging. Actors must develop their characters in a limited amount of time, like Day did when he played Katherine Hepburn’s role — and attempted to mimic her iconic Mid-Atlantic accent — in the humorous play “Bette & Kate Join the Line!” He enjoyed the challenge.

“You never stop learning,” he said.

Although Day had a lengthy career in theater before the Gold Program, including notable roles at Theater Cedar Rapids and Giving Tree Theater, he felt like the roles started to dry up after he reached a certain age.

“You hit a sweet spot at 25-40 (years old). They’re always looking for people in that age range,” Day said.

The Gold Program has given him a chance to work with new people and reconnect with those he hasn’t performed with in a while.

“There’s a hotbed of talent in the Corridor,” he said.

He shared that working with other talented people helps keep his mind sharp after his recent retirement. Plus, it’s a way to stay active that doesn’t cost a lot of money.

“Travel is expensive!” he said.

Another Gold Program performer, Kathleen Weiss, was inspired to restart her acting career after she retired and found herself with more time.

“I was like, let’s play!” she said. She performed in “The United Plays of America: Midwest Edition” alongside her husband, which was a fun activity for them to do together.

“I plan to be in more; it’s a great environment,” she said.

Weiss said although there’s less movement than in a typical play, it’s still great for physical health — and perhaps even more so for mental health.

“Learning characters and interacting with the other participants makes it a very social thing,” she said. She recommends anyone who’s interested to check it out or come to a play to support the program.

In the future, Hallman hopes to expand the number of participants. He’d also like to create a committee of the most engaged members so they can provide input on script selections and potentially help with outreach.

“I’d like to make the program driven by the people who it serves,” he said.

The Aegon TransAmerica Foundation is a major donor for the Gold Program, and the Grandon Charitable Foundation is the current season sponsor. The next performance in the program, “Maeve's Camellia,” by Kim E. Ruyle, will run June 6-9. Tickets are available at mirrorboxtheatre.com/gold.