Once in my LIFE
2016 - 2017
“Once In My LIFE” was a devised theatre project that partnered undergraduate performance majors at the University of Central Florida and senior citizen members of UCF's Learning Institute for Elders. The project was conceived by Claudia Schippert, director of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Central Florida, who recognized that the senior citizens who participated in LIFE at UCF felt separated from the general campus body. Similarly, one could argue that undergraduate students, especially those who live on campus, also experience division from their broader community. Together, the intergenerational partners shared and collected stories, songs, and photographs from the past. This raw material was compiled into a performance piece that fused together theatre, dance, music, and digital media, which was performed by both the young undergraduate students and the senior citizens (many of whom had no previous performance background, shedding new light on the term Theatre with Youth). The project aimed to share stories, celebrate life, and bridge the division between the two generations. I served as the director of the project during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Intergenerational Once In My LIFE participants.
Photo credit Amanda Hill. Video credit GroundUp Pictures.