Silver Beam Music - Life Story Theatre

Life Story Theatre

"...spirited, gentle and contemplative..."
Chicago Tribune

"Filled with enthusiasm, humor and pathos"
Chicago Reader

"...energy, personal investment and dignity..."
Lakeview Presbyterian Church

"Certainly a skilled presenter!!! The audience loved you."
Marla Levie, Director Advocate Care

"She is so poised.She really revved up the audience."
Barbara Robinson, Wisconsin Bureau on Aging

"...disarmingly insightful..."
Lerner Newspaper

"...very well performed ... important accomplishments..."
Montay College Gerontology Chair

"White Crane Players life stories in song"
MACA Exchange

"Songs and stories that tell it like it was"
Chicago Reader

...from VITAL TIMES - MAY 2002
Road shows: Delivering entertainment is their specialty.
The White Crane Players, under the direction of founder Barbara Silverman, have been performing at senior centers and residences, nursing homes, hospital wellness programs and community centers since 1987.

That year, Silverman received a Neighborhood Arts Project grant for a program to gather stories and songs of older members of the Lake View community.
(Read entire article)

THE PROCESS

A unique and acclaimed brainchild of director and presenter Barbara Silverman. Ms. Silverman taps the memories of ordinary people, and skillfully guides the artistic expression of their reminiscences, magically weaving a performance splashed with vintage music. The joyful, humorous and candid stories never fail to bond group members.

Ms. Silverman has scripted and directed four Life-Story Theatre stage productions that have garnered media recognition. She also presents keynote addresses featuring the highlights and benefits of this method, and conducts workshops for professionals in her time-proven techniques.

THE WHITE CRANE PLAYERS

This multi-ethnic troupe of elders spans three decades. They share life stories in workshops, then edit the best into scripts, choosing movement and songs to highlight each scene. The players' diverse backgrounds bring life and color to the stage, while their shared experiences testify to the importance of laughter and self-empowerment.

Directing the troupe since its inception is Barbara Silverman, a Chicago-based performing artist in music, dance and theatre arts for more than twenty years.

PAST REPERTOIRE

"Home Free" - a stage production with a widely mixed cast sharing recollections of home and homelessness

"Healthy and Wise" - the longest running stage and touring show covering humorous accounts and struggles about health

"Song and Story Sharing" - a lively overview of life in the first half of this century

PAST PERFORMANCE VENUES

Beacon Street Theatre & Theatre Building • Illinois State Caseworkers' Conference • Guardianship & Advocacy Commission • Weiss Hospital • Illinois Masonic Hospital • Northwestern Hospital • Grant Hospital • Harbor Village • The Hallmark • Kenmore Plaza • Chicago Department on Aging Centers • And Many More

AVAILABLE FOR

• Senior Centers and Residences
• Hospital Wellness Programs
• Community Centers and Park Districts
• Professional Groups
• Conferences

The White Crane Wellness Center is an independent senior-led, not-for-profit organization pioneering new approaches to health and aging.