Knollwood Article
The Source
“It wore me out. It’s hard to cry while you’re laughing.” So said a visitor to last week’s Lincoln Land Theatre presentation of Precious Memories . . . A Return to Knollwood which played at Jacksonville’s west side retirement village on May 18th, then at Centenary Methodist on the 19th and 20th. Phil Funkenbusch, director of entertainment at Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Museum was one of those in attendance. “This is more than theatre,” he said. “I spent half my time turning around and watching the residents react to their own stories coming to life onstage. It was magic.” The students in Ken Bradbury’s LLCC Theatre Practicum class spent a month interviewing fifty residents of Knollwood Retirement Village, then compiled their responses to questions about love, laughter, hard times, raising kids, and living with other senior citizens into a two-act play with music written by the students. Bradbury was stopped on opening night by a Knollwood resident leaning on her walker. “She said ‘Hey!’ and I turned around,” said Bradbury. “Do you know what it’s like having your life on display for other people to watch?” The director didn’t exactly know how to respond, so she added, “You’re clueless, aren’t you?” Admitting that he was indeed clueless, he asked her what it felt like. “I’ll tell you,” she answered. “It gives your life meaning.” Then the lady made a sharp turn with her mobile wheels and headed off her room. “I couldn’t have asked for a warmer reception,” said Bradbury. “It’s something very special…a bit beyond traditional theatre when the subject matter of your play…the people you’re talking about…are sitting right there in front of you as you perform. At times it made it difficult for my cast to say the lines.” The Knollwood presentation was the final performance in the group’s theatre season which included a traveling theatre to area elementary schools last winter, a mid-winter performance of Tom Beard, Look What You Done for the Beardstown Opera House, and a talking books project for Hope School in Springfield. “I’ve never had a class do so much theatre in a year’s time but this group has grown with each new experience and they’re always ready to tackle anything.” The students take the class for dual high school/Lincoln Land credit and come from Routt Catholic, Jacksonville High School, Triopia, Franklin, and home schooling.