Seniors' Acting Lab Society hosting a production dealing with scams targeted at seniors
A Calgary acting company dedicated to sharing stories about aging is all set to present a production that explores the impact of an online scam on a senior and her family.
The play, which opens Thursday at cSpace, is called 'Old Mule' by Edmonton playwright Nicole Moeller. It features two women, a daughter named Gloria and her mother named Dot.
Trish Clark plays Dot, who is in the midst of an online scam by someone trying to befriend her. Gloria is trying to find out details of her mom's 'new friend', but has a hard time making headway.
"Dot does not feel she requires looking after, that's who the character is, she's like 'I can do it myself'," said Clark.
Clark has taken up acting in her retirement and says she pulled from her experiences as a caregiver for 45 years, remembering how her patients were vulnerable to scammers calling them on the phone.
"Because they're lonely," she said. "So the loneliness part I'm very familiar with from my work life, I worked in palliative care so that's people at the end of life, dealing with those issues and loneliness is a huge factor."
Gloria is played by Susan Carpenter and says this is her first leading role, thanks to the Seniors' Acting Lab Society (SALS).
"(My character is) a bit of a stick in the mud, I'm a bit of an A-type personality but I really at heart just want (my mom Dot) to be safe, I want to support her and I want her to live her best life," he said. "It's a fictional story, but it's universal, there's a lot of emotional truth to it so yes, there's definitely a lot in there that resonates with me."
BRINGING AWARENESS TO ONLINE FRAUD
The play is directed by Pat Chan. This is her second production by SALS she's worked on. Chan says there are times when the audience will laugh, but it also helps bring awareness to the fraud that seniors face.
"Because now it's a modern world," she said. "It's a different era and then sometimes with the internet and all that, seriously it's just a push of a button and things happen, you know bad things or good things happen right?"
SALS is hosting a panel of local experts on seniors and fraud after the matinee performance on January 27, 2024 that is made up of representatives from the Calgary Police Service, the Alberta Securities Commission, the Take Care, Be Aware program at the Calgary Seniors’ Resource Society, and the Better Business Bureau.
"We talk about scamming so who do we go to when we get scammed?" asked Chan. "I have a choice to approach this panel, I have a choice to approach this association, I have a choice to approach RCMP so I have a choice to know (what to do) if I'm scammed."
START A CONVERSATION
Clark likes the idea that the play can start a conversation that can help people, but she's also having fun in her post-retirement acting adventure.
"It's fun to meet with other people, it's fun to put another character onto the stage and interact with other people who are other characters," she said. "So it's totally fun and stressful and crazy and all those other kinds of things rolled in together."
Carpenter says the Old Mule is an entertaining way to deliver a powerful message.
"The message behind it is that you need to support your family, you need to get your arms around your family so that this can't happen to them," she said. "I mean I have my kids coming all the way up to friends who are older than me and I think it'll appeal to a wide range of ages."
Old Mule will run for five shows only at cSpace Studio Theatre (1721 29 Ave SW) from January 25-28, 2024. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for seniors and students and may be purchased through the Morpheus Theatre box office at tickets.morpheustheatre.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.