Students, senior citizens collaborate on play

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - March 31, 2010) Students from California Lutheran University and senior citizens from University Village Thousand Oaks worked together on an original production they will perform April 15 through 25.

"Generations," a humorous look at the similarities and differences among three generations, will be performed in CLU's Black Box Studio. Show times are 8 p.m. April 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 24 and 2 p.m. April 25.

The first theatrical collaboration between CLU and University Village, "Generations" is an original workshop production written by students, senior citizens and CLU theatre arts professor Ken Gardner. Gardner, recipient of the 2009 National Playwriting Program Excellence in Education Award, began meeting with the students and seniors in fall on the Mainstage 3 production. The dark comedy about three generations of family coming to terms with reality incorporates experiences from the seniors' lives that they shared during these meetings.

"Hearing their voices firsthand helped us develop the characters for the script," Gardner said. "Their stories served as some of the inspiration for the dramatic content of the play. We are very excited about this collaborative effort, and I know the students have enjoyed working with the seniors."

University Village residents Gene and Joyce Smith play the roles of Alan and his deceased wife, June. CLU senior Sara Burgess of Colusa and senior Annie Sherman of Agoura Hills represent the second generation. Freshman Kelsey Goeres of Santa Maria and 13-year-old Christian Frye of Newbury Park portray the third-generation characters. Freshman Jordan Stidham of Westlake Village plays a neighbor.

"Generations is an accurate reflection of the issues and decisions that face older people in life," Gene Smith said. "Many of us deal with the death of a spouse, trying to relate to teenage grandchildren, getting along with our adult children and planning the next stage of our lives. These are not easy topics to tackle."

Tickets are $10. Admission is free for those with a CLU ID. The Black Box Studio is located in the Theatre Arts Building on the north side of Memorial Parkway near Pioneer Avenue. For more information, call the Theatre Arts Department at (805) 493-3415 or go to http://www.callutheran.edu.