Here’s a great story from the Japan Times about a theater group for people over 60. Where do I sign up?
Nobuko Tanaka writes, “At the age of 91, Saitama resident Izumi Noguchi is speaking at his first press conference — at least as an actor anyway.
“ ‘When I saw an advert in April inviting anyone aged 60 or older to audition for a new project called 10,000 Gold Theater, I just felt like challenging myself to do something I’d never had a chance to try before,’ he says.
“Noguchi is the oldest person to join the 10,000 Gold Theater ensemble. … ‘Gold Symphony, my dream, your dream’ [is] a staging on an unparalleled scale that features some 1,600 performers (not 10,000 as the name suggests) who are all volunteers and almost all amateurs …
“Arts promoter Taneo Kato came up with the idea [when] he was watching a performance of ‘Hamlet’ in which stage icon Yukio Ninagawa directed members of the Saitama Gold Theater and Saitama Next Theater — troupes made up of older and younger actors that he formed in 2006 and 2009, respectively, after becoming artistic director at Saitama Arts Theater in 2006.
“ ‘Out of the blue, midway through “Hamlet,” veteran enka singers the Komadori Sisters — who are actually twins — appeared and sang “I Want to be Happy One Day,” ’ Kato says, recalling how striking a moment it was to see the women, born in 1938, sing those words.” More here.
I wonder how big an issue memorization is for the performers. My friend Dorothy started a group of older amateur actors in Concord, but they do readings and don’t have to memorize. I have many memorized stories, Bible verses, and poems in my head and can trot them out at a moment’s notice. Not sure if I could acquire new ones to the same extent.
Photo: Maiko Miyagawa
Massive undertaking: Seiji Nozoe directs elderly actors during rehearsals for the play ‘Gold Symphony, my dream, your dream,’ performed in Chuo-ku, Saitama City, December 2016.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
How neat! I agree on the memorizing , I can memorize something and the next day forget a large part of it… somehow it just doesn’t make it to that long term memory like it used too..
Yeah. I find I have to say the thing over and over a lot to make it stick.
Oh, this is great! But I hope they don’t focus on memorization–that would take mental energy away from the sheer fun of this. And isn’t that why these folks are doing this, for the fun?
Maybe they are allowed to do a little improv. I think if I were the director, I would encourage theses older actors to adapt to whatever lines turn up. But maybe that’s not possible with such a huge number.