Scripts on hand

“We used to be named the Ageless Reading Theatre, but no one knew exactly what that meant or what to expect from us,” explains Shellee Young, founder and director of the theater company. “Some people thought that we just sat around and read plays; that’s not the case. We perform. We’re actors, not readers.”

While reading theater is performed all across the country by various amateur and professional acting companies, there are only two reading groups in Reno. It’s a different kind of production that is not found in the typical theater world. The main distinction is that the actors hold scripts during the performance, so full memorization of lines is unnecessary. The idea is that the actors can be more relaxed. The pressure is off, and they can concentrate more on their acting instead of worrying about forgetting lines.

There are generally few costumes in reading theater, and the set designs are mere suggestions for the audience instead of full-stage backdrops. With little to distract the audience, the players must be at their best.

“Our actors are good. They have to be,” Young says.

Young, who is on the Senior Advisory Council of Reno, a group that tries to bring more arts into the lives of seniors, says that the Ageless Reading Theatre is a labor of love. A veteran of the theater in Los Angeles, Florida and Reno, Young noticed the problems older people had memorizing their lines. She didn’t think it should hold them back from acting. She investigated the format of reading theaters and started her own three years ago here in Reno.

“It was hard for the first little while,” she says. “We lost a lot of scripts. People would take them in order to practice and then disappear off the face of the earth. We had a hard time getting people to rehearse regularly.”

After the first year, though, the company developed into a regular group of 11 dedicated seniors, ranging from professionals to first-timers. The group is committed, knowing they have a performance to work toward.

The Ageless Repertory Theatre alternates their practices and performances between the downtown Reno and Sparks libraries. Most of the performances clock in at about an hour and are free to the public. Though the attendance can vary wildly (anywhere from a couple people to over 40), Young is pleased with the success they have had.

“I like to keep things small,” she says. “A small group is much easier to manage and schedule, although we are in need of men. Sometimes, we have to have women play the male roles.”

The members of Ageless Repertory Theatre will portray a range of characters in their upcoming production of two one-act plays: Aria da Capo, a funny but serious theater-of-the-absurd piece, and Trifles, a murder mystery. They will also perform The Trysting Place, a romantic story about three different couples.

The limited number of members gives individuals the opportunity to portray all kinds of characters.

“We have a 65-year-old playing a 9-year-old,” Young says. “That doesn’t happen anywhere else. Performers will often play older, but rarely do older actors play much younger characters. We do things that no one else is doing.”

The close-knit company focuses on plays that are adapted specifically for reading theater. "We like to perform literary pieces, where the written word has more meaning to the audience," says Young. "We want to get them so involved that they forget we have a script."