SLIDING INTO SENIORHOOD
by Kim E. Ruyle
The paths of six intriguing characters intersect as they navigate the unpredictable and challenging twists and turns of aging. On the slide into seniorhood, they encounter relationships and experiences, some painful, some sensual, and some just downright silly. When all is said and done, will they find that life has left them with anything more than simple memories?
- Cast Size: 3M 3W
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
Order Digital Download (Will NOT download to phones, cannot be printed)
About the Playwright
Kim Ruyle is a playwright based in Wisconsin and a member of The Dramatists Guild of America, The Playwrights’ Center, and Chicago Dramatists. Kim’s stories come from a unique perspective. A US Army veteran with blue-collar roots, Kim went on to earn multiple graduate degrees and to work as an HR and leadership consultant. Writing for the stage is a second career for Kim beginning in 2018. Many of his plays have won awards and been produced across the country. In 2023, he received the Inaugural Network Playwright Award from Chicago Dramatists.
Sliding Into Seniorhood is a touching and entertaining reflection on prioritizing our lives and how that may change as we move into new phases in our life. There are reflections on legacy, and relationships, and self-discovery. While some of the characters happen to be “seniors”, the themes are not exclusive to that age group. This play isn’t about being old, it just so happens some of the characters are getting there – and the humor reflects some of the issues they confront.
The dialogue is wonderfully natural, blunt and real. As an actor, it was a delight to have language that worked without forcing anything. Audiences enjoyed the everyday candid nature of the dialogue. The show is accessible to audiences who may not be regular theater goers.
The play is fun! The characters are real. The show is a delight to perform and to attend.
The writing is impeccable for a modern play. As someone who studied in “Script Analysis” and pored through classics seeking hidden meaning, this offers and weaves introspective thoughts in various ways between the characters throughout the play that doesn’t leave the audience guessing about what they might ponder, but doesn’t smack them in the nose with it either. It’s carefully crafted to both have you thinking and laughing, so that nothing ever feels too heavy, but nothing ever reeks of farce.
The characters also offer a depth that gives enough to guide you and know there’s more, but room to create and make your own.
It’s highly enjoyable to both read and perform, and will definitely do well with current community theater crowds since it highlights people and their complexities at more mature ages.
Review Sliding into Seniorhood.