Tickets are now on sale for A Circle of Time, Burning Passions Theatre’s second “Seniors Sharing Stories” theatrical presentation. The new play, written and directed by Laurel Smith, explores the lives of those entering retirement as part of the sandwich generation: women juggling the needs of adult children and elderly parents while trying to chart a course for their own lives in the post 9-to-5 world.
Filled with humour and heart-touching moments, A Circle of Time is an hour-long play followed by an audience talkback. It plays in Ottawa on Wed. March 26 and Thurs. Mar. 27 at 2pm and 7pm at Rideau Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre, 815 St Laurent Blvd. (2nd floor Drama Room). Pay what you wish tickets are now on sale!
Space is limited, so best to book your tickets in advance! Parking is free and the Centre is easily accessible using OC Transpo.
Seniors Sharing Stories
It’s rare when the lives of seniors are featured in the news or in entertainment, so for two years, this project has brought together community elders to create new works expressing their hopes, dreams, and challenges as they enter the fabled “third chapter” of their lives.
A 2024 pilot project, A Circle of Care, played to sold-out audiences in June, 2024. It brought some of those neglected narratives into the spotlight, reflecting the challenges of low-income elderly populations rarely part of public discourse: hunger, housing, health challenges, healing strategies, the isolation in which these are so often confronted. It also served as a creative means to build mutual support networks, illustrated through dramatic action that, when staged, generates dialogue, connectivity, and brighter futures.
“The project is an excellent example of how to confront ageism in a creative, accessible manner, through the staging of challenges faced as well as means to overcome those challenges,” explains BPT’s Artistic Producer Laurel Smith. “The fact of this being a senior-led and driven project, with our voices front and centre, undermines stereotypes of seniors as passive citizens who no longer have anything to contribute. It also contributes to inter-generational dialogue at the talkback sessions held after each performance."
Seniors Sharing Stories provides a vital forum for discussion about a growing segment of Ottawa’s population (17% of residents are 65+, 30% are 55+). The project dovetails with City of Ottawa’s Age Friendly plans; 80% of seniors consulted for Ottawa’s Older Adult Plan called for healthy and active aging programs like Seniors Sharing Stories.
“By 2030, a quarter of the population of Canada will be over 65, yet there is a dearth of discussion and planning for this demographic change,” Smith says. “Plays like this are a gateway for that dialogue we need to ensure everyone lives full, complete lives of dignity and comfort.”
Get Your Tickets Now
Pay what you wish tickets are now on sale!
Space is limited, so best to book your tickets today!
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