What's My Line?

In 2008 I was assigned to write an article about a local theater group's senior actors. I wasn't sure what my angle would be; I imagined this would just turn into a promo article for their upcoming play. But as I interviewed three of the actors over the phone on three different days, I noticed a trend. They were all telling me how hard it was for them to remember their lines as they got older. It changed the way they participated in theater. I had my angle. 

I was a little afraid to write the piece for fear that I was stereotyping senior citizens or being offensive, which was certainly not my intent. I called each actor back and made sure that they didn't mind me approaching the article from this angle. They let me tell their story in their words. 

One 70-year-old actor found her role in "The Cemetery Club" daunting. She was the lead and had several soliloquies with numerous lines. “It was scary,” she said. “I’d never had trouble learning lines until this time. Doing a soliloquy is much harder than doing regular dialogue, because there’s no one to bounce your lines off of. It made me more fearful of doing big parts.”

Another veteran actor who'd performed on stage for more than 25 years said, “It’s a sad fact, but it does get harder to remember lines as you get older. You learn more tricks for memorization, like tape recording your lines or listening to them in the car or on walks. I’ve never been stuck on stage without something to say.” 

The oldest of the group, a 76-year-old man, said that he still enjoyed being a part of the theater but had given up on acting. He chose instead to work behind the scenes. 

I found the interviews so insightful and appreciated their candor. I've never taken the stage and can't imagine memorizing lines at any age. Luckily they are all still enjoying the theater life. They may take small parts, but they are not small actors.