Workshops
Elder’s Acting Workshops
Elders’ Acting Workshops (EAW) developed for BIP with the Acacia Network participants’’ senior citizens, is a unique concept that can offer several health and social benefits for senior citizens. Acting, is exactly the kind of demanding, brain-stimulating activity that can help maintain and improve memory and overall cognitive health, not to mention enhance one’s engagement with life. Some studies did before-and-after testing of participants to gauge the effects of the mental effort involved in learning acting. The Elders Acting workshops will mainly help elders discover what they are capable of, in overcoming their psychological blocks. The benefits can be many: increases mental acuity, enhances the elderly’s relationships with those around them, bolsters self-esteem, and is just a lot of fun.
The Workshops culminated in a short film developed by the participants with the professor’s guidance insuring the participants with the satisfaction of seeing their work on the big/small screen resulting in an improvement of their self-esteem.
Professors: Amneris Morales, Belange Rodriguez and Ivan Goris
BODA AT CASABE
Short Film “Senior Prom” 2018 (Inspired by the stories of the participants)
1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Marko Santoni
LIGHTS AND SOUND: Marko Santoni, Belange Rodriguez, Jesus Papoleto Melendez
EDITION & SOUND MIXER: Marko Santoni
CAST: Senior Citizens from Acacia Network
GUEST ACTORS:
Jesús Papoleto Meléndez, Carlos Manuel Rivera, Marko Santoni & Volunteers from Acacia Senior Centers Participants
II Shining Stars in the Golden Age Talent Show (2018)
November 29 at 2:00pm at East Harlem Multi Service Center (EHCCI, INC.- 120 Street & 1St.)
Through auditions the senior citizens participants can unleash their hidden talents, such as singing, dancing or reciting poetry. Then during the rehearsals with the coaches they can relive past experiences allowing them to feel: active, functional, creative, useful, and finally they feel able to do again what they once did or perhaps do what they dreamed one day and did not dare.
Crew
DIRECTOR & PRODUCER: Amneris Morales
PERFORMANCE COACH: Belange Rodriguez
DANCE COACH: Elliott Ortiz
SING COACH: Marko Santoni
STAGE MNAGER: Ivan Goris
LIGHT DIRECTOR: John McGee Enterprises
Shining Stars in the Golden Age Talent Show (2019)
September 25 at 2:00 P.M. at Julia de Burgos Theater (EHCCI, INC.- 120 Street & 1St.)
After the success in “Shining Stars in the Golden Age Talent Show 2018” and in order to provide the elder Acacia Center participants continuity in the process of liberation and having fun, at the same time that they expand their physical health through the exercises during the rehearsals exercises we are ready to start the new auditions for Shining Stars in the Golden Age Talent Show 2019.