GenSpeak: An Evening of Original Plays and Songs

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in collaboration with

Greenwich House Music School and Greenwich House Senior Centers Presents

GenSpeak
An evening of original plays and songs

GenSpeak is a collaboration between Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre, Greenwich House Music School, and the Greenwich House Senior Centers. GenSpeak partnered young theatre artists with members of Greenwich House Senior Centers for conversations and interviews online. The artists then created new work inspired by those conversations that were directed and performed by some of New York’s finest actors. We hope these new plays speak across generations and to this time in particular.

This project was made possible by the generous support of the JP McManus Fund.

THE PROCESS:

Isolation and disruption to social life has been a common thread throughout the pandemic. Older adults have felt this isolation keenly across the world, losing opportunities to share space and time with family and friends. Theatre artists, whose very medium is meant to bring people together in time and space, have also been isolated and challenged to find meaningful ways to work. GenSpeak came out of the desire to spark connection, and create something new with both older adults and theatre artists.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater identified five artists and recent graduates of the NYU Playwriting Program and the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program interested in the intergenerational creative processes. Greenwich House reached out to Senior Center members with an invitation to share their stories and experiences in order to create something new.

The artists met with the older adults in small cohorts, getting to know each other and exploring various themes.  Each cohort created their own process and the results are as varied as the participants and artists themselves.  While some pieces use quotes and lines written by participants, others are wholly original plays inspired by the conversations and relationships that grew out of this project.