Stir Q&A: At Have a Senior Moment Festival, Home depicts an elderly woman with agency
Playwright Melody Anderson draws on her own grandmother’s experience with a home invasion in a staged reading presented by Western Gold Theatre
Melody Anderson.
Western Gold Theatre presents Home at PAL Studio Theatre from October 3 to 5 as part of the Have a Senior Moment Festival
“HAVING A SENIOR MOMENT” is a phrase that’s normally used when someone experiences an age-related lapse of judgement, instance of forgetfulness, or state of confusion. But for many elders, that language can seem disrespectful—which is why Western Gold Theatre has put its own spin on it.
The company’s eponymous Have a Senior Moment Festival redefines the phenomenon as “a moment showing older adults living their lives in richness, fullness, and in relationship with their communities and environments,” in the words of artistic director Tanya Dixon-Warren. One work representing that philosophy is Melody Anderson’s Home, a revenge comedy about an elderly woman named Dorothy who becomes the victim of a home invasion after her husband passes away.
The fest will present an OOF! (On Our Feet!) staged reading of Home at the intimate PAL Studio Theatre from October 3 to 5. OOF! shows are—impressively—prepared in just four days. For Home, Roy Surette will direct actors Sherry Bie, Patti Allan, Dolores Drake, Beatrice Zeilinger, and Jacob Leonard.
Stir touched base with Anderson before the reading to learn a bit more about her play.
What was your inspiration for writing Home and choosing to centre the story around a home invasion? How have you developed it since winning the David King Prize in 2023?
Shortly after the death of her husband of more than 60 years, my grandmother was the victim of a home invasion. This led to her reluctant move into an assisted living facility. I knew I wanted to write a play with strong elderly female characters, so I decided to use my grandmother’s experience as a starting point.
Since winning the David King Prize, the play has had an in-house reading at Touchstone Theatre and a public reading at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse. The opportunity to hear the play aloud, notice what resonates with audiences, spend time with the characters and their individual personalities—all are wonderful gifts that have inspired rewrites.
Tell us about the main character, Dorothy. What was your vision for her personality and mannerisms? How does she subvert the way elderly women are typically portrayed in the media and across popular culture?
I find that elderly women are often portrayed as “feisty”, or loveable but ineffectual. I wanted Dorothy to have agency even though her life has been turned upside down. I see her as a thoughtful, empathetic person.
My vision for her was inspired in part by my mother, whose attitude towards people—no matter their behaviour—was “They’re doing the best that they can”. I think this has been Dorothy’s philosophy in life, but the circumstance she finds herself in puts this to the test.
With Home being a revenge comedy, can you share some of the ways you’ve incorporated humour into the plot? What appealed to you about using a farcical style to tell this story?
While the improbability of the plot shares some elements of farce, I don’t feel the style is strictly farcical, since the characters aren’t exaggerated or stylized. I wanted to put ordinary, believable people in an extraordinary situation.
I think there’s much humour to be found in the absurdity and fallibility of being human, especially in the predicament of the aging process. In this regard, I think it’s Dorothy’s new friend Irene’s adventurous spirit and sense of irony that drives much of the play’s comedy.
What excites you most about staging a reading of Home at the Have a Senior Moment Festival? What do you hope audiences take away from listening to the play unfold?
I’m grateful to have Home featured as part of the Have a Senior Moment Festival. What excites me most is seeing it brought to life by a cast of incredibly talented actors, under the direction of Roy Surette. I hope it provides a few laughs and maybe sparks some musing, during these divisive times, about the space between revenge and forgiveness and the challenges of exercising compassion.
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