By Emily Williams-Robertshaw
The motto for the Seasoned Performers is a quote from Victor Hugo: “Fire is seen in the eyes of the young, but it is light that we see in the eyes of the seasoned.”
The performance group has a long history in Birmingham. The group dates back to the late 1980s, and it joined the Red Mountain Theatre Company in 2016.
Throughout the years, the mission of the group has remained the same, to celebrate the contributions of older adults. It’s accomplished in the spotlight, with participants taking part in performing original and well-known materials, blending storytelling, acting and song.
There is power in creativity, according to Seasoned Performers lead manager Cherri Morriss. Power is certainly needed in times of struggle, something in great abundance this year.
One of Morriss’ favorite things about being involved in the group is seeing members discover aspects of themselves they may not have known they possessed.
“My role is to enable what I see in another, and that’s what our goal is through Seasoned Performers,” she said.
Enter Linda Goldstein.
One of the newer members to the group, Goldstein moved from Amarillo, Texas, to Birmingham in May to be closer to family. Little did she know the pandemic would continue and keep her relatively isolated in her new city.
“I began exploring different groups and looking for ways to get involved,” she said.
In her quest, she met two members of the Seasoned Performers and was intrigued enough to glean a bit more information and even sit in on a meeting.
After seeing how supportive and engaging the group was, she was ready to jump in.
“What’s interesting about the experience for me is that my whole life I have done everything possible to avoid public speaking,” she said. “I decided that I’m in a whole new place, I need to spread my wings and try something different.”
“There is a part of my personality that has come out that has been hidden,” she said. “I guess I have found another voice.”
A high point for Goldstein has been a new pandemic addition to the group’s program, master classes led by RMTC education manager Bradford Forehand.
“I tend to be drawn to situations where I can learn something new,” she said. “He’s discussed things that I have never considered.”
Not only has Goldstein recognized her metamorphosis, but Morriss has, as well.
“She is so thorough and so researched, because she loves to do research,” said Morriss. “We had a master class with Bradford on accents and one was the UK accent with a cockney sound and everything.”
In a Dec. 3 meeting, Goldstein and three other group members – Carolyn Hollman, Sharon Repp and Elise Bodenheimer – performed a piece called “The Magic of Christmas.”
One of the highlights, mentioned by Morriss, was Goldstein’s reading of a piece by Sir Walter Scott.
“All of a sudden, during rehearsal, she chose to use an accent for that section,” Morriss said. “It was incredible!”
Morriss has been a manager of the Seasoned Performers since 2018, rising to lead manager following the retirement of Ron Dauphinee just days before lockdowns set in.
She notes that a big part of the members’ abilities to find their voice starts by feeling comfortable with the group. The performers have created their own family of sorts, not only lifting each other up in performance, but in life.
In a non-pandemic year, the group typically performances about 70 times in groups of four. Performance groups also typically travel to different venues throughout the city, focusing on underserved populations such as assisted living facilities, reaching an estimated 2,500 people across Jefferson County.
In addition, members typically would meet weekly for a face-to-face rehearsal, working on their performances and presenting them to the rest of the group for feedback.
Those meetings now take place on Zoom.
The group was quick to adapt to video conferencing, Morriss said. The intent was to make sure the family feeling was maintained as well as the creative outlet Seasoned Performers provides.
In a regular season, Morriss said members would maintain their connection by taking lunches after their rehearsals or meetings. It was a space where they would simply get to know each other and check in.
Now that their meetings take place on Zoom, things have had to shift a bit.
“At the beginning of a meeting, we have about 15 minutes of family time,” she said. “We get to hear about everybody’s situation, their experiences and challenges.”
Toward the end of summer, monthly master classes were added, and the group began providing some of their regular venues with recordings of virtual performances.
“That kind of programming is getting us through December,” Morriss said. Come January, she hopes to try to get back to the basics and work on meeting in person once more.
“Creativity abounds, and it’s about how to tap into that,” Morriss said. “Keeping them engaged is going to be the critical part going into January. Everybody is weary, with COVID-19, the election, families being distanced.”
For more information about Seasoned Performers, contact Morriss at morrisscb@gmail.com or call 205-915-2959.