Akron’s Makeshift Theater features performances by and for older adults (2024)

AKRON, Ohio – If you drive past Makeshift Theater in Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood you might not notice it at first glance. Located at 833 Carroll St. in a converted church, the nonprofit theater was established earlier this year to give performers both young and experienced a place to hone their craft while entertaining people from all walks of life.

The theater recently received a $3,000 grant from the Akron Community Foundation to help pay for its elder theater series – which offers performances by and for older adults. It’s a portion of the population that is sometimes left out of performing and experiencing theater, according to Jane Bond, the organization’s founder and board president.

The number of roles for older adults in traditional performances is limited, she said. At the same time, older adults who may not wish to drive after dark, for example, may find limited daytime theater viewing options.

“We make live theater available to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity,” she said.

Makeshift’s performances are often scheduled during daytime hours and tickets to the matinee performances are budget friendly at $5 each.

“The ticket prices are offset by the grant we received to serve the underserved section of the community,” she said.

Many of the theater’s productions are rehearsed readings, where actors perform the show as a live reading for the audience. The format is similar to radio plays, which allows the audience to use their imaginations, according to Bond.

“Our goal is to serve as an incubator for actors, writers and directors, so they can learn skills and hone their talents,” she said. “With established community theaters, there are usually no opportunities available for people to explore their craft.”

Makeshift is also an ideal venue for monologues or new play readings, she said.

Upcoming productions

The theater’s next performance, “The Ancient Mariner,” is Aug. 3-4 and Aug. 10-11 at 2 p.m. The production is based on the 1798 poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Coleridge. Canal Fulton resident Geoffrey Darling will direct and perform the play as a rehearsed reading. Darling’s wife, Rose Darling, will read the role of the writer, he said.

“I have been performing ‘The Ancient Mariner’ since 1986,” Darling, 75, said. “Now being able to share the reading with someone else on stage makes the story more clear and clarifies the narrative.”

The 40-minute production details the experiences of a sailor who has returned from a long voyage. The mariner stops a man who is on his way to a wedding to share the story of how he killed an albatross while at sea and the spiritual reckoning that followed. The poem examines themes of sin and redemption and is intertwined with supernatural agents.

Later this month, Sarah Parr will direct “The Velocity of Autumn” on Aug. 24-25 and Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. The drama, which is written by Eric Coble, chronicles the experiences of Alexandra, a 79-year-old artist who argues with her family over where she will spend her remaining years.

Drama therapy for addiction treatment

Earlier this year, Makeshift provided its space and a director for the production of “Ravage.” The collaboration was made possible due to a $14,594 ArtsNow grant the theater received for therapeutic theater, according to a news release.

The play was written and performed by Summit County Recovery Court program participants and was a gripping account of the ravages of addiction, according to Bond.

“The participants were able to perform the play at the Recovery Court graduation in June with families, friends and counselors in attendance,” she said. “While the use of drama therapy for addiction is fairly new, it does have a palace in the treatment toolbox.”

In search of a new space

The theater’s Carroll Street location was meant to be temporary as the building is owned by the Oriana House and used as a training facility. Makeshift planned to relocate to 243 Furnace St. in Akron, a property previously owned by WhiteSpace Creative. But plans to redevelop the space shifted, which has left Makeshift in search of a new space to call home permanently, according to Bond.

“Our hope is that what we find is going to be better than what we lost,” she said.

Though Makeshift is looking for a new space, it is also considering the possibility of partnering with another theater, according to Bond.

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