Project Description

The Cline couple will experience all the pitfalls and frustrations which confront older adults in their retirement years. Will they negotiate the shoals and reefs successfully? Will their marriage survive? Will they survive?

Old Age Ain’t for Sissies was written by Chalmers Award winner Rex Deverell and created in consultation with over 150 seniors across Toronto and the GTA. The play began with a retirement party. For some, the party heralded a glorious new era of freedom and adventure. For others, it sounded a peal of doom. The drama was punctuated with songs resonating with the determination of seniors who wanted neither to be dismissed nor forgotten. The skillful facilitators of Mixed Company Theatre engaged with the audience to bring hope and light into what could otherwise be a crisis of despair.

The production starred older actors with an array of backgrounds and experiences. This interactive play invited the audience to come on stage, take on the role of one of the characters and explore possible options to the issues presented.

Performances | At Tarragon Theatre’s Extraspace

Nov 26th, 2013 | 8:00 PM | Preview 

Nov 27th – Dec 1st, 2013

  • A person performing on a stage, holding their hands to their chest. In front of them is a table with a waterbottle and other items on top of it. She is illuminated the most brightly in the photo.an see
  • A person is performing on stage, sitting on a table facing away from another person. The seated person has their arms crossed and is looking off to the side.
  • Three people on stage performing. Two people are seated at a beige table holding coffee mugs. The third person is dressed as a nurse and is standing in front of the table holding a clipboard.
  • Two people performing on-stage. One person has their arms around another person. They both face forward.
  • Two people performing on-stage. One is an older adult who is holding the other person's forearm. They are both seated.
  • A group of people performing on-stage. Some are seated and some are standing.
  • A group of people are standing on a stage, holding their arms out in front in a celebratory pose.

Project Funders

This project was generously funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and The Rotary Club of Toronto.

The logo for the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The logo for the Rotary Club of Toronto.