Chester County Edition
September 2014
Vol. 11 No. 9
For Senior Laughs, the Play’s the Thing Theater Group and its Founder Spread Humor and Active Aging By Chelsea Peifer Theater has been a pivotal part of human culture since the most primitive times. Once the lifeblood of every community, today local theaters must compete with entertainment formats like television and movies for the attention of audiences. But in Central Pennsylvania, local theaters continue thriving because of passionate individuals like Fran Horkowitz. Horkowitz, 87, has acted, directed, and served on the board for several theaters, and her primary involvement has been with the Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg. But in 2009, she saw an empty niche for seniors who wanted to remain involved with performing arts but without the commitment of memorizing a tremendous amount of lines or attending several months’ worth of rehearsals. Ever the go-getter, Horkowitz decided to form the Senior Theatre Players to fill that void. The Senior Theatre Players began with six players traveling to senior centers, assisted and independent living homes, and various locations in Central Pennsylvania to perform short skits. The group has grown to include 15 players ranging in age from 50 to 91. please see LAUGHS page 15 Fran Horkowitz, founder of the Senior Theatre Players, backstage at the Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, where exposed brickwork from the original building can be seen. It was first constructed as a one-room schoolhouse in 1863.
Inside:
The Other Side of Leonard Nimoy page 2
The National September 11 Museum page 7