The Experience of Being produced by the Donegal-based An Grianán Theatre, premiered last week in Belfast at the Baby Grand Studio in the Grand Opera House, and is now on tour for a couple of weeks.
The hour-long production evolved as a response to writer/performer Carol Moore reaching 60 and coming face-to-face with a negative set of views around ageing. It is also an opportunity to address a lack of challenging, non-stereotypical theatre roles for her age-range. The play is poignant and funny and offers a message of empowerment about ageing positively for women and for men.
To quote from the play: “In the shop they didn’t see me; they saw a warm cardigan and sensible shoes sort of woman. An insignificant woman.”
It has taken Carol two years to write and develop the piece, and The Experience of Being is a play where the central character Cathy starts to recall the events of the previous day; her 60th birthday. A solo piece, it explores the effects of ageism. American activist and writer Ashton Applewhite describes ageism as “the last socially sanctioned prejudice”.
Carol Moore.
“We have absorbed and internalised a set of ‘truths’ about people that perpetuate the stereotype, and along with those is the assumption that all older people are the same. Each of our life journeys is unique,” says Carol. “So assuming a 60-year-old is experiencing exactly the same things as a 90-year-old is as illogical as saying all 20- to 30-year-olds are all the same.”
Carol reflected on the need she felt to write The Experience of Being. “It’s a bit of a surprise when you arrive at 60 and are suddenly told you are old.
Naturally you don’t think about age when you are young. You are exploring who you are in the world and selfishly getting out there and enjoying the moment
"Not told formally; a letter doesn’t come in the post, but you know you have reached a watershed because society has marked this moment as the beginning of a person’s decline. It is accepted as fact, as the norm. I felt I needed to challenge that myth.
“Naturally you don’t think about age when you are young. You are exploring who you are in the world and selfishly getting out there and enjoying the moment. For me that was deciding that teaching wasn’t for me when I couldn’t get a permanent post. Out of college in 1979 and unemployed for a year, I went with my heart and decided on a freelance career as an actor.
“I quickly discovered that opportunities in the north relied almost entirely on getting work in Belfast’s two main producing theatres. There was a plethora of young female talent around in the early 80s but we were all competing for the same few roles. With no established independent theatre sector, how was one to make a living?
“The beginning of The Troubles saw numerous Troubles-related theatre and television dramas, so our male counterparts were never out of work. Not so for female actors.
“Roll on 40 years and I reached 60 in September, 2016. I had already been playing older characters in wigs from my 40s and that continued for the next 20 years.
Once again, I felt a dearth of contemporary roles that were multifaceted, intelligent, vibrant, sexy and funny
"Suddenly, and with the life experience to give those roles the gravitas they deserve, I am aware I am not seeing my age group reflected enough on the Irish stage.
"Once again, I felt a dearth of contemporary roles that were multifaceted, intelligent, vibrant, sexy and funny.
“I am not saying ageism doesn’t affect men; of course it does. It happens when any person is defined not by their personality, individuality or beliefs but by their age, but there is also an element of sexism around the ageing of women that is particularly discriminatory and based solely on gender. The Experience of Being is a response to all of that.
“In my 60s, I am enjoying my own experience of ‘being’ because you never know how long you have until the journey ends.”
Friday 17 May at An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny.
www.angrianan.comSaturday 18 May at Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Dunfanaghy.
www.holytrinityparish.ieWednesday 22 May at Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo.
www.hawkswell.comSaturday 25 May at The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton.
www.theglenscentre.com Wednesday 29 May at Mullingar Arts Centre.
www.mullingarartscentre.ie Thursday 30 May at Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow.
www.mermaidartscentre.ie Friday 31 May at An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk
www.antain.ieSaturday 1 June at The Playhouse Theatre, Derry.
www.derryplayhouse.co.uk Read more
The Front Row: from potential vet to piano star
The Front Row: excelling in Tipperary
The Experience of Being produced by the Donegal-based An Grianán Theatre, premiered last week in Belfast at the Baby Grand Studio in the Grand Opera House, and is now on tour for a couple of weeks.
The hour-long production evolved as a response to writer/performer Carol Moore reaching 60 and coming face-to-face with a negative set of views around ageing. It is also an opportunity to address a lack of challenging, non-stereotypical theatre roles for her age-range. The play is poignant and funny and offers a message of empowerment about ageing positively for women and for men.
To quote from the play: “In the shop they didn’t see me; they saw a warm cardigan and sensible shoes sort of woman. An insignificant woman.”
It has taken Carol two years to write and develop the piece, and The Experience of Being is a play where the central character Cathy starts to recall the events of the previous day; her 60th birthday. A solo piece, it explores the effects of ageism. American activist and writer Ashton Applewhite describes ageism as “the last socially sanctioned prejudice”.
Carol Moore.
“We have absorbed and internalised a set of ‘truths’ about people that perpetuate the stereotype, and along with those is the assumption that all older people are the same. Each of our life journeys is unique,” says Carol. “So assuming a 60-year-old is experiencing exactly the same things as a 90-year-old is as illogical as saying all 20- to 30-year-olds are all the same.”
Carol reflected on the need she felt to write The Experience of Being. “It’s a bit of a surprise when you arrive at 60 and are suddenly told you are old.
Naturally you don’t think about age when you are young. You are exploring who you are in the world and selfishly getting out there and enjoying the moment
"Not told formally; a letter doesn’t come in the post, but you know you have reached a watershed because society has marked this moment as the beginning of a person’s decline. It is accepted as fact, as the norm. I felt I needed to challenge that myth.
“Naturally you don’t think about age when you are young. You are exploring who you are in the world and selfishly getting out there and enjoying the moment. For me that was deciding that teaching wasn’t for me when I couldn’t get a permanent post. Out of college in 1979 and unemployed for a year, I went with my heart and decided on a freelance career as an actor.
“I quickly discovered that opportunities in the north relied almost entirely on getting work in Belfast’s two main producing theatres. There was a plethora of young female talent around in the early 80s but we were all competing for the same few roles. With no established independent theatre sector, how was one to make a living?
“The beginning of The Troubles saw numerous Troubles-related theatre and television dramas, so our male counterparts were never out of work. Not so for female actors.
“Roll on 40 years and I reached 60 in September, 2016. I had already been playing older characters in wigs from my 40s and that continued for the next 20 years.
Once again, I felt a dearth of contemporary roles that were multifaceted, intelligent, vibrant, sexy and funny
"Suddenly, and with the life experience to give those roles the gravitas they deserve, I am aware I am not seeing my age group reflected enough on the Irish stage.
"Once again, I felt a dearth of contemporary roles that were multifaceted, intelligent, vibrant, sexy and funny.
“I am not saying ageism doesn’t affect men; of course it does. It happens when any person is defined not by their personality, individuality or beliefs but by their age, but there is also an element of sexism around the ageing of women that is particularly discriminatory and based solely on gender. The Experience of Being is a response to all of that.
“In my 60s, I am enjoying my own experience of ‘being’ because you never know how long you have until the journey ends.”
Friday 17 May at An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny.
www.angrianan.comSaturday 18 May at Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Dunfanaghy.
www.holytrinityparish.ieWednesday 22 May at Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo.
www.hawkswell.comSaturday 25 May at The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton.
www.theglenscentre.com Wednesday 29 May at Mullingar Arts Centre.
www.mullingarartscentre.ie Thursday 30 May at Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow.
www.mermaidartscentre.ie Friday 31 May at An Tain Arts Centre, Dundalk
www.antain.ieSaturday 1 June at The Playhouse Theatre, Derry.
www.derryplayhouse.co.uk Read more
The Front Row: from potential vet to piano star
The Front Row: excelling in Tipperary
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