Each year, the ensemble chooses a different theme and holds story circles where people share stories related to that theme. These interviews are recorded, transcribed, and shaped into monologues and scenes about everything from dating over age sixty-five, to climbing to the top of a building in Greece, to having an epiphany in the grocery store, to making tough end-of-life decisions.

OnStage Seniors is a year-long program. New participants are invited to join in the early fall, when OnStage holds an interest session and auditions. We rehearse and perform our productions under the direction of New Jersey teacher and playwright David Lee White. Each performance is followed by a post-show discussion about the issues that are raised in the scripts. Our ensemble’s year is divided into acting classes, script creation, and rehearsing our new projects.

The OnStage theater experience is one that comes full circle. One voice leads another to speak, allowing new stories emerge. After the show, the audience shares stories that matter to them—and some end up in next year’s show!