‘Dreams’ on tap for UNLV theater program

Friday, June 18, 2004 | 8:28 a.m.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Senior Adult Theater program presents "Summer Dreams, Winter Wishes," a series of 10-minute plays and monologues, Wednesday through Sunday at UNLV's Paul Harris Theatre.

The plays provide glimpses into the lives of two sisters living together on a farm and a man who shares his suspicions of his wife's infidelity, and the dynamics of two senior friends living together.

Moreover, it melds two generations. The plays were written by UNLV graduate students and performed by student actors ages 62 and older.

Monologues will open each play. One features a woman who moves from a too-small house to a house that's too big, and a gentleman who has thoughts about his grandson's girlfriend, with whom he is playing cards.

"We don't cover the normal topics," said Douglass Hill, assistant director of the senior adult theater program. "There's no Alzheimer's, no disease of the week. Everyone is out living their lives.

"We're trying to push the envelope to see where all this can lead."

UNLV offers a bachelor's degree in senior adult theater. In January it co-hosted the "International Senior Adult Theater Festival" at Harrah's, drawing actors from as far away as Australia and Europe. Discussion groups ranged from playwriting to stage combat for senior adult theater.

Hill said UNLV's program, which has 20 students working toward a degree and another 30 or more taking classes for self enrichment, is thriving. Students are learning how to act, direct, write screenplays and control lighting. Many are branching out into community productions.

"Some of our students are working with Theatre in the Valley, Las Vegas Little Theatre," Hill said. "A lot of our folks were in 'Miss Congeniality 2' at Treasure Island. A couple have gotten commercials. We're bursting at the seams."

Hill wrote the monologues for "Summer Dreams, Winter Wishes." The only play not written by graduate students is "Getting Lucky," from Rich Orloff's "Companion Pieces."

Student-written plays include Amy Michelle Smith's "Fifteen-2," a dramatic play that captures the changing relationship of two sisters when one helps another recover from a stroke; Dave McGinnis' "Blown Open," a dark comedy about friends in a general store in Abernathy, Texas; and Jenny Laird's "Georgie and Sass," a humorous play about friendship.

Most of the actors have been in past productions.

"With traditional theater program, students spend a few years, then move on," Hill said. "With our group we have people returning after five, six and 10 years."