Still Dreaming' Shines a Spotlight on Creative Aging

The documentary Still Dreaming chronicles how a group of former actors collaborated to stage a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Lillian Booth Actors Home, reports Next Avenue . In the movie Ben Steinfeld and Noah Brody, two founders of Fiasco Theatre in New York City, guide their actors along an occasionally rough course from auditions to the final performance. The actors, some of whom have Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other medical conditions, are offered the opportunity to revitalize their passion for performing, all while memorizing lines of Shakespeare, in order to present the play for their families and fellow residents. "Even though Noah and Ben really had no idea what they were getting into, they always brought high expectations for the people involved to be honest actors," says filmmaker Jilann Spitzmiller. "It was very exhausting for them, but it was admirable how they were really able to pull it off." Co-filmmaker Hank Rogerson says the intergenerational element of featuring young directors was appealing to him and Spitzmiller. "That's a really important part of creative aging and working with older adults," he notes. "It creates a nice dialogue and a positive experience."