Reminiscent of a scene in Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town,” on June 14 members of the Alte Actors (Old Actors) were seated in comfortable chairs at Chai Point for the first rehearsal of their coming production.
Noticeable in this theatrical group, with 11 actors present, were eight walkers; one hot pink, three purple, and the rest the grey garden variety. Two were decorated with leis.
The other difference between the “Our Town” scene and the Alte Actors rehearsal is that these actors range from a young 73 to a mature 93.
The play rehearsed is a rendition of “Fools” by Neil Simon. The director, producer and yiddishe mama, Nancy Weiss-McQuide, edited the play “substantially” for the group.
Weiss-McQuide created the Alte Actors along with Trisha Cohen, Chai Point activity director, in 2006. Weiss-McQuide said that membership is always fluid.
“The group started with 10 people and has ranged up to 14 participants. New people often join when they move to Chai Point,” she said. “Everyone gets a chance to sit in on rehearsals and see if it’s something he or she would enjoy. Many participants have said that the acting group gives them a chance to forget some of the problems of their lives.”
Weiss-McQuide, who teaches dance and theater to people of all ages, said, “Working with the seniors is a great joy. I love and respect them.”
Flitting from one person to another, hovering gently behind each player as the person read the lines (and every person does get something to read), Weiss-McQuide urged the company on like an orchestra conductor, often saying, “Sweetheart let me help you find your place,” or “We’re doing great everybody,” or “Herbie, Herbie, wake up darling!”
The Alte Actors puts on two 45-minute productions a year, in the summer, and for New Year’s Day. The performances are lightly staged and costumed readings. The casts do not have to memorize lines or move.
McQuide said, “Usually I collect a bunch of readings and short scenes from different authors like Mel Brooks, or Judith Viorst, a Jewish writer. It takes weeks and months to choose suitable readings. They all have to be humorous, never sad.”
The play rehearsed for the July performance is about a fictitious village called Kulyenchikov, in the Ukraine. With the appropriate hero, heroine and villain, the players emoted with emphasis and humor.
McQuide said rehearsals are once a week for six weeks, and “if anyone is out either I or Trisha take that person’s role.” Guest artist Rabbi Steven Adams will play the part of the villain, she said.
Two women, Merla Charney, 88, who had taught mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at public schools, and Edith Lerner, 90, are among the longest members of the group. Both look and act younger than their years.
Charney, whose husband is at the Bader Center, said their entire family loved the theater, and her deceased son, David, had even been a performer for a bit. She said she felt doing this “is fun. At one time I was a thwarted actor.”
Lerner also is participating because she enjoys plays. “I loved to do readings,” she said. “I used to run around to all of them.”
Since men seem to be in short supply in the group, with only two attending this rehearsal, Herbert (Herbie) Meyerhoff, 93, is very important.
Meyerhoff hails from Brooklyn and was, in his estimation, “a good butcher.” He is a quintessential Brooklynite, accent, humor and all. “Every time I look in the mirror, I say, ‘How are you?’” he said. As for why he is in the Alte Actors, he said, “I like to do it.”
Weiss-McQuide said that a klezmer music CD will be used for this performance, but for New Year’s there will be a pianist. Dr. Seuss and Mel Brooks will be the fare for that performance.
Hats, shawls and vests will be the costumes for “Fools.”
For many of the performances the audience is invited to sing along with song sheets left on the chairs. For this performance, “At the end we’ll sing ‘Simon Tov and Mazel Tov’ with audience participation,” Weiss-McQuide said.
Weiss-McQuide said that everything goes smoothly by the time the show comes. “We get a very big audience and the shows have been well received. It’s funny material and they do it very well,” she said.
She also said that the actors sometimes have ideas that can be incorporated into the production. “I use these as they are often wonderful ideas that can strengthen and add to the material,” she said.
“Fools” will be performed on Thursday, July 11, 7 p.m., in the Rubenstein Pavilion. Admission is free.
Arlene Becker Zarmi is a freelance writer whose work has been published in more than 40 publications nationwide. She was also the producer and host of a travel TV show for Viacom, and is a Jewish genre and portrait artist. She lives with her husband, Rabbi Avi Zarmi, in Shorewood.
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