Monroeville Readers Theater set to kick off performances at local senior care facilities

Looking to engage with residents, the Monroeville Readers Theater will perform short plays at local care facilities beginning Sept. 28.

The slate of appearances will open with “That Thing” by John Shanahan and “Table for Three” by Carl L. Williams at Independence Court of Monroeville at 2 p.m. Sept. 28. The dates of future performances have not been determined.

“The care facilities are certainly in need of entertainment,” said Beverly Siciliano, group director, writer, producer and coordinator. “There’s no question about that.”

The group normally meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Monday of each month. Meetings are held in Yolanda’s Room at the Monroeville Public Library. The most recent meeting, Sept. 9, concluded with a rehearsal.

Joining Siciliano as group members are Louis Chandler, John Shea and Diane Ribecca. Additional members are welcome.

“Even if an inkling gets a little bit in there, it’s worth it,” Ribecca said. “The people in (the care facilities) don’t have anything to do all day. If they can just break away from their routine and have some entertainment, that’s great.

“I think we need more members that are maybe retired, like retired English majors, teachers or professors. People that appreciate plays.”

Props and costumes normally are not used, although hats have been introduced in the past. There also are no sets, as the group tends to read the script from black binders, attempting to convey emotion through line delivery rather than physical action.

“We read it with a lot of expression,” Siciliano said. “You can tell if they’re getting it or not when you read it.”

Siciliano, 90, said this helps connect with those in the audience, many of whom might have limited attention spans. Shorter plays are preferred as a result.

“Most of the residents, they can’t maintain their interest for too long,” Siciliano said. “It’s interesting. They want to see different faces. They love that.”

The performers can tell they have made a connection by seeing a smile or eliciting a laugh, Siciliano said. Chandler, who joined the Monroeville Historical Society after teaching psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, said interaction with crowds is rarely the same from one care home to another.

“The audiences vary considerably based on the facility you’re in,” Chandler said. “The audience differs, so your responses to the audience will differ because that’s the way it is.”

The group was founded in 2014, when it began performing at the library. It’s not possible for the library to hold the plays at this point, Siciliano said, because of construction blocking the building’s front entrance.

“We did this once before. We represented the library. We’re not doing that now,” Siciliano said. “They have to get themselves straightened out. This (construction) is kind of not encouraging that, the mess here. But it will work out.”

The ongoing covid-19 pandemic also would make performing at the library difficult. Because of pandemic protocols, indoor library events are limited to no more than 13 attendees.

Reflecting on past performances, Siciliano said the theater group likes to mingle with the audience after plays.

“Just have words with them for a little while, find out if they enjoyed it or not,” Siciliano said. “It’s nice to become more familiar with them.”

The performances could provide a distraction for residents, Siciliano said, and the group members have a chance to escape into their roles.

“Once you get into the character that you’re portraying, it’s pretty easy, really, to just spout it out,” Siciliano said. “If the character is angry, you’re angry. You have to become part of it. … It’s a lot of fun. You’re a different person all together for a while. At the same time, you’re pretty sure of yourself and how that person would react.”