Ageless Actors Keep the Magic Alive

If there is a fountain of youth, it could arguably be the theater, where little boys fly and the extraordinary is illuminated through seemingly ordinary scenes, where people are transformed into other lives, and where we can catch a glimpse of how things are and how they could be.

A troupe of actors in Bellevue uses the theater as a medium for retaining memory, keeping active and providing a community service. The Ageless Actors group at meets weekly to rehearse, practice and perfect scenes, which they perform at the center and at nursing homes around the community.

"It's a hobby, if you will, or an ambition," said the group's founder, Blossom Landau. "Members might have had theater experience when they were young," or have an interest that they now have time to pursue.

Landau, who has been involved in theater since she was 12, has an impressive resume. She ran an award-winning children's theater in Los Angeles; she has written for and acted in radio, television and theater; and she has master's degrees in speech and drama from Stanford.

In 2004, Landau founded the Ageless Actors in 2004. The group invited seniors to participate in Children's Theatre Productions, initially for the Bellevue Youth Theatre. Now under the auspices of the North Bellevue Community Center, the seven-member group holds 12-week acting class sessions. Participants practice scenes, recite monologues or lines from poems, and do various breathing, speech and improvisation exercises.

The group's goal is twofold, said Landau. It provides a community service by making theater accessible to the members and to community service groups, and also gives seniors "the stimulation of using their memory and imagination."

Scheduling can be a challenge. Landau said she seeks scenes for her actors that are not too long, and in which substitutions can be made in case of illness.

"Everyone's schedule is different, sometimes they get ill or have appointments," she said.

Redmond resident Luana Marshall, who uses a wheelchair, says that although arranging transportation to the center can be difficult, she hopes to avoid some of the problems often associated with a stroke by keeping her mind active.

"A lot of people have memory impairment after a stroke," Marshall said. "I want to keep my memory."

Marshall said she appeared in stage, radio, and national television productions when she was younger.

Bellevue resident Doreen Badger said she was bitten by the acting bug while living in Singapore, and was glad to find an outlet with the Ageless Actors.

"I was so delighted when I came across the advertisement" about six years ago.

Landau said that though the course runs in a 12-week session, interested participants can jump in at any time, and don't need to have a particular skill level.

While the class is for fun, Landau takes her role very seriously, poring over plays for scenes that will work well with her ensemble and directing the Ageless Actors as vigorously as she would any other theater group. She pauses during rehearsal to offer instruction and coaching, assessing each person's skill level and possible physical limitations. She has to also take into account the small performance space, limiting sets to what can be easily moved between scenes.

The troupe is rehearsing for a Dec. 15 performance at the.