At Your Age?!
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Date
2023-01
Authors
Desmond, Elaine
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century, University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
At Your Age?! is a full-length, three-act play which explores ageing and ageism. The script was written by Elaine Desmond as part of an innovative participatory project entitled AgeACTED (Ageism Challenged Through Ethnodrama) developed with Eleanor Bantry White [PI], in collaboration with Cork Cultural Companions. Through ethnodrama, the play was devised from the verbatim words of discussions with six women in focus groups and drama workshops. The focus groups were analysed thematically by Elaine Desmond and Eleanor Bantry White who then came together to identify and discuss core themes about ageing and ageism emerging from the data. These themes informed the writing process. Elaine Desmond wrote a first draft of the play which was shared with the research participants. The participants shared their feedback with the researchers in a workshop and collaboratively, revisions to the play were identified. Informed by the workshop discussion, Elaine Desmond wrote this version of the play which was shared with participants and discussed in a final workshop. The three main characters are vibrant, humorous, and non-conforming in their own inimitable ways. They must, however, negotiate feared future imaginaries around the changing physicality of ageing, concerns around death (both their own and that of loved ones) and a dreaded loss of agency associated with illness and ‘institutionalised’ care. The play explores the resilience required to stay positive in the face of fears which are intensified through ageist framings surrounding the experience of ageing in contemporary society. Five of the research participants formed the cast for a rehearsed reading of the play at the Granary Theatre. The performance was directed by Fionn Woodhouse. The use of ethnodrama represents an exciting, new way of presenting research data derived from participatory research and offers creative and emotionally-engaged ways of representing experiences of ageing and ageism.
Description
At Your Age?! is a full-length, three-act play which explores ageing and ageism. The script was written by Dr. Elaine Desmond as part of an innovative project entitled AgeACTED (Ageism Challenged Through Ethnodrama) developed with Eleanor Bantry White, in collaboration with Cork Cultural Companions.
Keywords
Age , Ageism , Ageing , Ethnodrama
Citation
Desmond, E. (2023) At Your Age?! Directed by Fionn Woodhouse [Granary Theatre, Cork. 26 January] Cork: Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century, University College Cork.
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Copyright
© 2023, Elaine Desmond.