The Theatre (Mo and Loretta G.)

Back in 2012, I first found out about Best Day from my internship at Philadelphia Young Playwrights. My co-worker Donnell went to their sessions and asked if I had wanted to join him. The first day I went, I’d fallen in love with the group, and I also wrote for Joe for the very first time. A few years later, I convinced Philadelphia Young Playwrights to perform their Young Voices Monologues at the senior center. But the Philadelphia Senior Center made even more theatre connections since then.

You may remember me mentioning a play that Nouria was in back in December. Not too long after that, I saw this poster for Heartfield Home back in March. I missed both of these shows due to work, but I did bump into one of the Wilma’s employees on my way out last week. It’s good to see one of Philadelphia’s prized theatres getting involved with our humble senior center.

Mo McCooper
9.15.2016
The Earl Theatre

One of the great places my Dad took me to was the Earl Theatre somewhere in the main business section of Phila.
There was a movie and a live musical stage show.
Pearl Bailey was a star vocalist then and “The Burma Road” may have been the movie. That was a World War II movie probably meant for adults, but I enjoyed it and asked Dad questions later.
Mom wasn’t well enough to share these adventures but she loved hearing about them later.
Pearl Bailey performed all over the world as did her husband, drummer Louie Bellson who was from England and was considered #3 in the world at the time. Pearl was from Philadelphia.
Trips to the circus, the zoo, and the sportsman’s show were also taken.

Loretta Gaither
1.26.2017
Love to Dance

Today I heard the music coming from down the hall. I was drawn to where it came from and I went down to see as I danced. My favorite thing is dancing. A short time I danced, then return to the writing class.
My son, Eric, takes good care of me. I am able to take care of myself but because of arthritis, he helped me a lot.
I love the way Neha and Frances talk. And there is a tree up down the street and I love it the way it stood there.
I come in the writing class riding a bus to keep me motivated. I like to have fun in the center with everybody.
Open Community Center, I go there and some students from Drexel University come there for volunteering and its good that they remember me whenever I go there. 

I wonder if I could arrange a collaboration...
Curated by Caitlin Cieri