Please join us for a live stream of a Q+A with local Poet, Actor, and Activist Wayne Gilbert + Annell Weissenbuehler following the in-person screening of Me To Play on August 27.
ABOUT WAYNE & ANNELLE:
Annell Weissenbuehler and Wayne A. Gilbert have been close friends and collaborators for 25 years. Annell ran a premiere high school theatre program down the street from the community college where Wayne taught English. Annell added an extra play to the school year calendar so she could so she and her graduating son could act together his senior year in a different high school. The play was Picnic, and her character had a boyfriend. She didn't think it would be appropriate for one of the teen actors to play that role, but all the adults she asked turned her down. It so happened that Wayne's daughter was cast in that production and she told Annell, "My dad will do it!" That was the Fall of 1997. Annually thereafter, until they both retired in 2012, they performed together in an "extra" show, usually with her more experienced actors.
In November, 2004, Annell gathered a stellar alumni cast and they put on Death of a Salesman. It was a dream come true, and a particularly challenging play. Wayne had begun noticing certain "ticks" in his own body (a slight tremor in his right hand, a sore right shoulder, an occasional reluctant right foot and stiff leg muscles), which he exaggerated a bit for his portrayal of Willy Loman. At the time, neither Annell nor Wayne had any idea these "quirks" were serious or meaningful in any way. The next April Wayne was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Nevertheless, their partnership continued.
In 2012, they talked about how they could continue their creative collaboration without the benefit of an actual theatre but also without the interference of full-time jobs. With her younger son, Brennan Weissenbuehler, Wayne and Annell formed Us-In-a-Box Theatre Workshop. They created original theatre performances and staged them wherever they could: at first in a community college black box theatre between college shows, then in art galleries, a public library lecture room, and even a lovely viewing space in an alternative funeral home. Their goal was to produce meaningful and entertaining theater experiences with minimal "tech" (little lighting, minimal sound, few props, no set) and whatever work-arounds were necessary, including Parkinson's. They did annual shows until the Pandemic.
Wayne remembers one "Box" production in particular. In it, a small community theatre was putting on a production of Death of a Salesman, and they had some money to hire a retired professional actor to play Willy Loman. Unbeknownst to them, he had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and forced to leave his profession. But the actor was also clearly unable and/or unwilling to accept his diagnosis. The resulting complications allowed the actors in the community theatre company, as well as the Us-In-a-Box Theatre Workshop group to explore a variety of related issues.
Annell and Wayne will talk briefly about ways their experience working together relate to the film Me to Play. There will be time for Q&A. People with Parkinson's and care-partners are especially invited to attend this special event. Emphasis will be on how creativity can be a major factor in living well with Parkinson's.
Please join us for a live stream of a Q+A with local Poet, Actor, and Activist Wayne Gilbert + Annell Weissenbuehler following the in-person screening of Me To Play on August 27.
ABOUT WAYNE & ANNELLE:
Annell Weissenbuehler and Wayne A. Gilbert have been close friends and collaborators for 25 years. Annell ran a premiere high school theatre program down the street from the community college where Wayne taught English. Annell added an extra play to the school year calendar so she could so she and her graduating son could act together his senior year in a different high school. The play was Picnic, and her character had a boyfriend. She didn't think it would be appropriate for one of the teen actors to play that role, but all the adults she asked turned her down. It so happened that Wayne's daughter was cast in that production and she told Annell, "My dad will do it!" That was the Fall of 1997. Annually thereafter, until they both retired in 2012, they performed together in an "extra" show, usually with her more experienced actors.
In November, 2004, Annell gathered a stellar alumni cast and they put on Death of a Salesman. It was a dream come true, and a particularly challenging play. Wayne had begun noticing certain "ticks" in his own body (a slight tremor in his right hand, a sore right shoulder, an occasional reluctant right foot and stiff leg muscles), which he exaggerated a bit for his portrayal of Willy Loman. At the time, neither Annell nor Wayne had any idea these "quirks" were serious or meaningful in any way. The next April Wayne was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Nevertheless, their partnership continued.
In 2012, they talked about how they could continue their creative collaboration without the benefit of an actual theatre but also without the interference of full-time jobs. With her younger son, Brennan Weissenbuehler, Wayne and Annell formed Us-In-a-Box Theatre Workshop. They created original theatre performances and staged them wherever they could: at first in a community college black box theatre between college shows, then in art galleries, a public library lecture room, and even a lovely viewing space in an alternative funeral home. Their goal was to produce meaningful and entertaining theater experiences with minimal "tech" (little lighting, minimal sound, few props, no set) and whatever work-arounds were necessary, including Parkinson's. They did annual shows until the Pandemic.
Wayne remembers one "Box" production in particular. In it, a small community theatre was putting on a production of Death of a Salesman, and they had some money to hire a retired professional actor to play Willy Loman. Unbeknownst to them, he had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and forced to leave his profession. But the actor was also clearly unable and/or unwilling to accept his diagnosis. The resulting complications allowed the actors in the community theatre company, as well as the Us-In-a-Box Theatre Workshop group to explore a variety of related issues.
Annell and Wayne will talk briefly about ways their experience working together relate to the film Me to Play. There will be time for Q&A. People with Parkinson's and care-partners are especially invited to attend this special event. Emphasis will be on how creativity can be a major factor in living well with Parkinson's.