Looking for more great blogs? Check out The Best Day of My Life So Far. The blog is run by Benita Cooper with the mission to collect, share, and connect stories from seniors with younger generations.
Watch the following video to learn more about the project :
Be sure to check out Senior Story Telling Day on November 14thwhich will feature stories and storytellers from the Best Day of My Life So Far blog. This FREE community event to be held at the Central Branch Library and will feature Senior Storytellers recalling the best days of their lives. Learn more here.
The marriage between “Family Stages” and Art-Reach allows Art-Reach audiences of all ages to experience fun, interactive theatre in intimate settings. Joining Art-Reach’s In-Facility Program roster of artists, Family Stages presents a variety of two-person shows on site for Art-Reach members. As a witness for this relationship, I was a guest at one of Steve’s shows, “Puss in Boots”, performed in Oreland, PA. The show delivered just what Steve promised. Nursery school children sat rapt on the carpeted floor of the church hall. Folding chairs provided a heightened view for teachers, parents, and grandparents. On stage, a simple hand-painted backdrop and a clunky green trunk set the place, and one pole of spotlights created the mood. Two versatile actors played all the parts, taking on new roles as quickly as they changed their costumes, voices, and postures. Clearly Steve knows what kids like, for his script included audience interaction. On cue, the children stood up, used imaginary tools, and replied aloud. The actors were equally sensitive to young audiences. When the evil ogre threatened the pretty princess, the kids spontaneously shouted a warning. The adults, too, were entertained. Steve’s subtle puns and contemporary allusions amused the mature members of the audience. Puss snidely remarked that she was “no Garfield.” The end result was an intergenerational audience of happy faces and lightened spirits.
Meet the lead player…
Steve Seyfried
It’s Steve Seyfried, a man with a deep voice and a warm smile. He’s the actor, director, producer, playwright, and all-around creative mind behind the theatre company called “Family Stages”, a new roster artist with Art-Reach’s In-Facility Program.
Let me tell you their thirty-year story…
The Exposition…
After graduating college, Steve started his directing career by teaching and his acting career by performing at dinner theatres. That’s where he met his wife, Elise, who also became his artistic partner of many years. After a short time touring with a children’s theatre company into Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the two settled in Philadelphia and decided to start a project of their own. Thus, with only some make-shift costumes and a modest Chevy Chevette, Duet Productions (later to be called Family Stages) was born.
Photo from Family Stages' Performance of Peter Pan
The Rising Action…
Steve and Elise began adapting material for children’s productions. They relied on fairy tales and folktales from around the world, shaping these into plays that could travel to any place that provided a simple stage and an appreciative audience. Soon, their ambitious endeavors gained momentum. The creative couple introduced a summer theatre at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Here, families could share entertainment for an evening, and even laugh at the same things. Another idea advanced the plot… why not offer a summer camp and workshops too? Success was immediately evident as enthusiastic thespians flocked to the shore-based stage. Now, with place established as the tri-state area, and time expanded to all seasons, “Duet Productions” was truly blossoming.
The Turning Point…
With five kids of their own by now, (and all the drama they needed right there at home!), Steve and Elise chose to adjust roles. While Elise focused on the family, Steve forged on with the company. “Duet Productions” became “Family Stages”, a non-profit organization. The new name reflected the goals that were now firmly in place: appeal to intergenerational audiences, and reach them in wide and varied settings.
Just some of the many Family Stages performance offerings.
The Resolution…
“Family Stages” has reached its professional stride. Audiences include all age groups. Actors are minimal in number, but experienced, maintaining the intimate but professional nature of the performance. Performances occur in a variety of venues including retirement communities, schools for children with and without disabilities, and public parks for travelers and tourists.Material is eclectic. In the past thirty years, Steve adapted some forty plays for the stage. Some are funny and fanciful; others are historical and inspirational, but all of them are creative and loyal to the mission of “Family Stages”: to provide entertainment, enrichment, and education to family members of all ages.
The Conclusion…
The story arc is now complete, with Art-Reach welcoming Family Stages to the roster. Today, theatre patrons can choose from Steve’s extensive repertoire and “Family Stages” is eager for the opportunity to join forces with Art-Reach. “It’s a chance to touch audiences we might not ordinarily reach…to help those who cannot otherwise access the theatre. It’s great to feel that we are making a difference!” he confessed. No doubt his performances will reach many Art-Reach audiences, bringing smiles and making a difference in the lives of many!
Art-Reach hosted "Share the Experience" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) on Friday, June 11th. The event, a program of Art-Reach's Independence Starts Here cultural access initiative, encouraged guests—including donors, members, and community leaders—to experience art as people who are blind or visually impaired experience it.
To begin the event, the Philadelphia Museum of Art shared a number of tools it provides through its Accessible Programs to enhance the museum experience for people with visual impairments. These include Braille and raised-line museum maps as well as touchable interpretations of art such as tactile representations, miniature sculptures, and three-dimensional replications of two-dimensional paintings. These tools were on display at the event for guests to touch and experience, with written descriptions to serve as a guide for those who are blind or visually impaired.
While such tools help open up the world of art to those with visual impairments, they are only part of what makes visual art accessible to those with disabilities. As Street Thoma, Manager of Accessible Programs at the PMA says, "The most important way to make art accessible is the language that we use to describe things." One key element of art accessibility is audio description.
At the event, audio described tours were available for event attendees. For guests with visual impairments, the tour gave them an opportunity to experience a work of art in the Museum's collection through audio description. For guests with sight, blindfolds were provided to allow them to experience the art as those who are visually impaired experience it. Sighted guests were encouraged to put on their blindfolds or close their eyes before viewing the art being described, allowing them to rely on the description alone without any visual point of reference.
After the audio describer presented a description of one of the PMA's paintings, guests were asked about their experience. One guest with sight said, "It was captivating to hear her [the audio describer] speak. The way she presented information was very thoughtful." Another sighted guest said, "I enjoyed the way it [the audio description] was presented. It unfolded like a story, and the description was neutral, so it gave you the opportunity to interpret it yourself." One guest who is visually impaired said, "It was almost like I could see it [the painting]," while another commented on the importance of asking clarifying questions during any audio description. "You can't make quick judgments; you have to ask if you can't see the details."
TURN IN to 501 Vine Street, and you’ll see what I saw in April: the curves and shapes and colors and grains that define the craft of wood turning. When I arrived, I immediately spotted the lathe, basking proudly in the light on the windowsill, and knew that this device, guided by the deft hands of an artist, was responsible for the beautiful objects I was about to see. Albert, Ron, and William, the inspiration and administrative backbone of the organization, gave me a warm welcome, a hint of the sensory pleasure that pervades the Wood Turning Center in Philadelphia. I began my journey.
HAD I MADE A WRONG TURN? As I entered the gallery, I was struck by the apparent anomaly that I saw ahead. Pieces made from glass and linen and leather and clay in a wood center? Then I saw the sign: “Magic Realism---Material Illusions”, and I understood my mistake. Here was a special exhibit that played with expectation and its intersection with reality. On display were illusions of materials: a child’s cotton dress…really wood; a birch tree branch…really clay; a lacy linen corset…really glass. I had been exposed to the unexpected interconnectedness, OK… the magic… of materials!
TIME TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK by paging through the books and photographs in the next room. By perusing through the shelves that lined the walls, serious scholars, able artists, and just fascinated folks could read about the history of wood turning, the process that defines it, and the artists who produced its most acclaimed work. Out of sight in a climate-controlled area, the WTC houses a permanent collection of wood-turned objects that are rotated out for display periodically. If time had permitted, I could have researched the past and gained even more appreciation of this special craft. Next visit!
THEIR TURNSTILE KEEPS MOVING! WTC also invites hobbyist turners to enhance their skills, experienced wood artists to find new inspiration, and researchers to expand their knowledge. Most importantly, WTC encourages the general public to discover and appreciate this very special place. There are only three craft art studios in Philadelphia, the other two devoted to either clay or fabric. The Wood Turning Center is unique: its focus is wood, and its mission is to elevate the perception of this craft art to the level of fine art! After my visit, I was a believer!
NOW, IT’S YOUR TURN. Be a visitor. You have lots of choices. Three specific and well-defined programs are available for Art-Reach members, each one offering some combination of museum history, process explanation, exhibit information, sample pieces, and lathe demonstration. Also available is a hands-on turning experience! The WTC kindly offers an “on-the-road” alternative, taking portions of the program to member sites, thereby reaching audiences unable to travel.
IT’S SOMEONE ELSE’S TURN: Do you need another recommendation? Maybe Brandee will convince you! Brandee, a young woman with many physical challenges, along with Debbie, her nurse, and Lynda, her doctor, spent the morning of April 29th at WTC. I was there too. Wood artist, Philip Hauser, a retired executive who confessed to a long-time love affair with wood, patiently demonstrated how wood is turned on the lathe. He slowly transformed a chunk of unfinished poplar into a “lidded box.” As Philip worked and talked, Dr. Lynda orally conveyed the visual details to Brandee, who is visually impaired. The pleasant smell of burning wood filled the air as the turning continued. With each new curve and detail, Dr. Lynda placed the transformed creation into Brandee’s open hand, thus stimulating her tactile response. Dr. Lynda’s expressive narrative voice reflected the beauty of the evolving piece, enhancing the sensory experience for this special guest with limited independent abilities. When Philip ended his demonstration, he gifted the finished piece to Brandee, concluding what Dr. Lynda described as “unequivocally, one of the best experiences Brandee has ever had.” She added her intention to return soon with other Rec Care folks.
However you choose to experience this craft and art, whether at the WTC site or on your own turf, you will see the curves and shapes and colors and grains. You will feel the warmth, smell the wood, and welcome the peace. Your senses will tell you… you made the RIGHT TURN!
A green room is a room in a theater, television show set, or public venue used by actors, speakers or other performers when they are not onstage. They can simple or lavish.
While most green rooms today aren’t literally painted green, the origin of the name is unclear and varies in explanation from the usage of green paint in the rooms to green plants kept to provide humidity, which was assumed to be good for the voice. One theatre explains that “In olden times the players performed on a platform or stage referred to as “The Green” and adjacent to this was a room for relaxing, going over lines and other things that players did.”
Today, green rooms might have TVs for actors and actresses who, while waiting for their cue to go onstage, can watch what’s going on onstage currently. On television show sets, celebrity guests and TV show hosts might meet each other in the green room before appearing together in front of an audience. Fans, often with a backstage pass or for a fee, may meet the actors or musical performers in the green room after the performance.
English actress Audrey Hepburn was born this week on May 4th, in 1929. She was born in Brussels, Belgium and was the only child of Joseph Rusten and her mother, Ella Van Heemstra. As a child she took ballet lessons at the Arnhem Conservatory and after World War II ended, Audrey and her mother moved to Amsterdam where she continued to study ballet under Sonia Gaskell. Eventually, she moved to London where she studied ballet under influential British dancer Marie Rambert, while occasionally working as a model to support herself.
She had her first role in the British movie One Wild Oat and then had minor roles in Young Wives’ Tale, Laughter in Paradise, The Lavender Hill Mob, and Secret People. While working on the English and French film Monte Carlo Baby, French writer known as Colette choose Audrey to play the title role in the Broadway adaptation of her novel Gigi. Hepburn won a Tony award for this performance. In 1953, she received her first starring role in the film Roman Holiday, for which she won an academy award for best actress. In 1954, she starred in the play Ondine with Mel Ferrer, whom she would marry later that year. They would have one child together. She went on to star in numerous films, including Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Paris When It Sizzles, Love in the Afternoon, Green Mansions, The Unforgiven, The Children’s Hour, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, and My Fair Lady.
After her divorce from Ferrer, she married her second husband Andrea Dotti on January 18th, 1969. They would also have one child together. In 1988, Audrey Hepburn became UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador – a role that had a great impact on the organization and on Hepburn herself. She passed away on January 20th, 1993.
Our mission is to connect underserved audiences with cultural experiences so that they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative powers of the arts. Our Blog, Art-Reach: The Experience, serves to connect Art-Reach with its constituents and the general public to celebrate our successes, share information, and highlight mission related items.
