Theatre Workshop: Assisted Living Facilities

A woman in a pink cardigan and floral dress stands with a walker in a decorated room, likely celebrating a birthday, with decorations like blue and gold balloons, banners, and a 'Happy Birthday' poster on the wall.

Our theatre workshops bring joy, connection, and creativity to assisted living communities. Residents engage in gentle warm-ups, storytelling, and collaborative theatre activities—adapted to all ability levels—that encourage self-expression, spark memories, and foster meaningful social connections. Each program can culminate in a small showcase for peers and loved ones.

Warm-Up & Engagement

Gentle movement, breath, and vocal exercises to invite energy and connection.

Storytelling & Expression

Guided activities that encourage participants to bring personal stories or imaginations to life.

Collaborative Theatre Activity

Group-based improvisation, role-play, or scene creation that fosters teamwork and joy.

Close-up of a woman with piercings on her lip, looking down, with a blurred person in the background.

Reflection & Sharing

A space for participants to share memories, thoughts, and feelings in a supportive circle.

Smiling elderly woman with blonde hair wearing a gold headscarf and yellow top, sitting next to a woman with dark hair and glasses, both at a social gathering.
Four people sitting in a room with windows, a vending machine, and potted plants. One woman with red hair and a pink cardigan is speaking to another woman with blonde hair in a blue hoodie, sitting on a chair with a walker. An older man with glasses and a white t-shirt is sitting at the table in the background.

Showcase

A lighthearted sharing of the group’s creations, celebrating expression and community.

Course Structure

Week 1: Welcome & Gentle Beginnings

  • Introduction to the program and group agreements

  • Simple warm-up exercises (breath, gentle movement, humming)

  • Icebreaker: “One Word About My Day” circle

  • Short storytelling prompt: “A favorite season or memory”

Week 2: Finding Our Voices

  • Vocal warm-ups (call-and-response songs, humming games)

  • Residents share favorite sayings, songs, or quotes

  • Group reading of a short poem or story

  • Guided improvisation: act out emotions through gestures and sounds

Week 3: Remembering Through Story

  • Warm-up with gentle stretches and laughter exercises

  • Story circle: sharing personal stories about family, celebrations, or childhood

  • Puppet or object theatre for residents who prefer nonverbal participation

  • Group reflection

Week 4: Theatre of the Seasons

  • Warm-up with “weather sounds” (wind, rain, sunshine gestures)

  • Reading and acting out a seasonal poem or story

  • Group improvisation: create a short “seasonal scene” together

  • Creative reflection through drawing or group discussion

Week 5: Character & Imagination

  • Warm-up: role-playing different voices and expressions

  • Residents create simple characters (a traveler, a neighbor, a grandparent, an animal)

  • Group skit using resident-created characters

  • Reflection: How did it feel to “become” someone else?

Week 6: Collaborative Storytelling

  • Group circle warm-up: building a story one line at a time

  • Small groups or pairs create short scenes based on a prompt (a picnic, a holiday, a journey)

  • Puppet or tabletop theatre for accessibility

  • Share scenes with the group

Week 7: Memory Theatre

  • Warm-up with favorite music (singing, clapping, moving gently)

  • Invite residents to share a meaningful memory

  • Adapt a memory into a short skit or tableau

  • Encourage residents to add props, costumes, or simple staging

Week 8: Preparing Our Showcase

  • Review favorite activities and scenes from past weeks

  • Decide as a group what to present (short skits, poems, songs, or readings)

  • Practice collaboratively with support

  • Reflection on the process

Week 9: Celebration & Showcase

  • Warm-up and group circle of gratitude

  • Informal performance for peers, families, or staff (or recorded to share)

  • Celebration with refreshments and storytelling circle

  • Closing reflection on the journey together