Impact of Theater Experience on Older Adults Living in Retirement Communities

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging

Treatments: Behavioral: theater program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04582370

000526106

Details and patient eligibility

About

Theater is a complex, multi-component performing art. On stage, actors not only need to memorize the script, but also be able to portray emotion and feeling through movement and move in whichever manner is deemed appropriate by the script. Acting therefore requires as much movement as it does vocalization. As training exercises in theater naturally involve boosting physical, cognitive and affective function, and social relationships, theater experience can be used to promote health and wellness. Over the last two decades, there has been an increase in the use of theater to promote health and wellness among older adults.

Thus, the overall aim of this project is to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of a 10-week theory-based theater program on physical functioning and emotional stress among older adults.

Hypothesis #1: Older adults residing in subsidized housing who participate in a theory-based theater program will demonstrate better physical functioning, and reduction in emotional stress than wait-list controls at the conclusion of a 10-week theater program.

Hypothesis #2: The positive impact of the theater program on the residents' improved physical functioning and stress level will be maintained at 3-month follow-up.

Enrollment: 84 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 62+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Age 62 or older living in HUD-subsidized housing
2. Residence in a subsidized apartment for at least one year.
3. Able to carry on a daily conversation with or without hearing aids
4. Intact cognition as indicated by a score of greater than 5 on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ)
5. Ambulatory with or without aids, as the outcome measures require participants to perform static and dynamic balance, and walking activities.

Exclusion criteria

1. Visual impairment that cannot be corrected with assistive devices
2. Diagnosis of progressive neurodegenerative disorders (self-report)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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84 participants in 2 patient groups

Theater program

Experimental group

Description:

The design of the 10-week theater program is based on the principles of acting as written and practiced by Constantin Stanislavski in his revolutionary text on acting: "An Actor Prepares" \[Stanislavsky C, 1989\]. The exercises target concentration, voice, physical skills, emotion memory, observation, and dramatic analysis and include 3 components: 1. Preparation for the Actor (which involves relaxation , collaboration, movement, posture, and vocality; 2. Learning the Components of the Repeatable Acting Process (which involves physicality, attention, and concentration); and 3. Synthesizing Components into Characterization (which involves creativity and emotional expression). Each of these components will be addressed during each of 20 sessions through the use of group warm ups, group ensemble exercises, and group recitations. Participants will perform physical, mental, and emotional exercises similar to those given to beginning acting students in traditional theater schools.

Treatment:

Behavioral: theater program

Wait-list control

No Intervention group

Description:

During the study period, the control group will not receive any type of intervention. However, they will be offered the same theater program experience after the primary data collection period ends.