Memories of a Lifetime Take the Stage in Westhampton Beach

Senior citizens on the East End will soon be sharing stories from their lives on stage thanks to Melodies & Memories, a theater boot camp of sorts for those over age 65 offered by Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center (WHBPAC) Arts Academy.

Called “Time Goes By,” the new production is part of the Lifelong Learning Program at WHBPAC Arts Academy and will be presented to the public on November 20. From now until showtime, 12 seniors are meeting twice weekly at the theater to develop their music and theater skills and tap into their memories to create a live performance.

The free program is taught by professional teaching artist Kasia Klimiuk and Arts Academy director Kristen Poulakis. Musical direction is by Peter Pece, who has served as arranger and accompanist for Melodies & Memories since its inception. Pece received his doctorate in the field of neuromusicology and has studied how the brain processes music, memory and language.

“It’s a collaboration of stories that the seniors have been reminded of throughout the process of the semester and it’s them telling their stories on stage, as well as singing songs that we’ve incorporated to attach to the moment of their story,” explained Poulakis, who has worked with the seniors since 2014. “The title of the program is called Melodies & Memories, and that’s exactly what we do. We discover the memories and we add the melodies to it to complete the story.”

Some of the personal stories are not easy to share and may leave the performers feeling vulnerable. Dorothy Mato, a returning participant in the program, said she had a difficult childhood in New Jersey, but that her mother did her best to provide for she and her siblings. Last season, Mato danced to Peggy Lee’s “I Am a Woman,” as a photo of her mother was projected on the screen. Then, she wrote a poem about herself and her sisters, did improv and wrote a blues song with the rest of the group, which they all performed together.

Melodies & Memories was originally launched in 2010, but the program lapsed for a while before starting back up again this past spring. Participants were recruited at local senior centers as well as by word of mouth. All seven stars of the spring performance returned for this fall’s session and were joined by five additional students.

This year’s performance is true to its “Time Gone By,” theme, and like the spring session, each performer is basing a portion of the show on a memory from his or her past. Participants perform a monologue, and either sings or dances to accompany it. The script is written by the seniors, rather than the arts academy staff. As rehearsals have only recently begun, the final content of the show remains to be decided. However, the classic “Time Goes By” song will be the opening act, and “We’ll Meet Again” will close out the November 20 show.

“I feel very honored to hear these memories, and also help them find new skills, whether it be storytelling or singing,” Poulakis said. “And to see the bravery, even in their later years, that they show is so commendable and inspiring.”

For some of the participants, this is their first experience performing onstage. Others have been in choirs, one performed in New Yorker City and several have dabbled on the stage in various musicals or shows, according to Poulakis.

Mitch Robinson, a working psychologist and the only male in the group, joined after he said he found he “was aging out” of certain roles in community theater where he has put his energy and talents for years.

“We have each other’s backs,” Robinson said, noting that performers help one another work through things when they lose the memory of a specific story they are telling, or tear up when revealing a painful moment. “Part of this is about getting you thinking again about the stuff you’ve been through, good, bad and indifferent… most of us, by this point, trust each other enough. I will share both good and bad.”

On the first day of the program, Poulakis notes that an object is laid on a table to start a memory conversation and teaching artists help figure out what story participants might have attached to that object. Improvisation takes up another chunk of rehearsals, as performers learn skills like breath control and how to use their diaphragms.

“It’s just really the beginning skill of how to then create more, sing better and feel comfortable on the stage,” said Poulakis.

“It makes us feel special. As seniors, you don’t really get the special treatment a lot in life,” said Mato, adding that the program has inspired her to work on her memoir and possibly write a comedy skit. “I realized that I’m funny, and I have terrific stories to tell.”

Memory is another area in which the program is therapeutic, as some of the performers have dementia.

“For them to come into a space where they feel safe, and even if they forget their story midway into it, at least it’s creating synapses for them to have the space to remember those stories,” Poulakis said.

Mato added that the program has fostered deep friendships, saying “We share so many intimate stories with each other and that is the best part of the whole experience.”

“As Time Goes By,” will be presented on Sunday, November 20, at 3 p.m. The Melodies & Memories program at WHBPAC is offered free to participants through the generosity of Nancy Burner of Burner Law Group. For details, visit whbpac.org. WHBPAC is at 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach.