96-year-old woman stars in play
For 96-year-old Violet Perry, it’s never too late to add to her resume.
The Dartmouth resident took to the stage on October 21 for a dramatic reading of the one-act play “Approaching Lavender,” which tells the story of a group of three sisters just before their father married for the fourth time.
The one-act play featured Perry in the role of Jennifer, along with Beverly Wheeler as fellow sister Abigail, and Nancy Jordan as Wren, the pair’s new stepsister. Over the course of a conversation set at their parents’ wedding, the trio’s true feelings about the marriage comes to a head as they explore the meaning of sisterhood.
After the play, Perry was presented with flowers and signed autographs for audience members at the sold-out show.
Theatre was not something Perry ever imagined she’d be doing again. When she was a kid, she and her eight siblings put on plays in the basement of her parents’ house, charging 10 cents for admission. Despite doing a little bit of dancing in school, this was the first time she had taken the stage in decades. All it took was a request by Nancy Miller, the Dartmouth Council on Aging’s Activities Coordinator.
“I got asked by [Nancy Miller] to join the group and I thought ‘why not?’ You have to keep busy,” Perry said. “As you can see I try to keep very busy – and watch your diet. Make sure you get calcium.”
Despite getting a little hoarse towards the end of her reading, Perry felt she had done a great job in her role, and would love to try theatre again.
Wheeler and Jordan were also new to theatre. They worked with New Bedford-based Your Theatre to develop their performing skills, including acting and voice projection.
For Wheeler, the play served as an opportunity for her to try something sort of new. She had previously appeared as an extra in the 1996 sports film Celtic Pride.
“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and it was a lot of fun,” said Wheeler
Jordan added that she really enjoyed her character, who she said was young and flaky.
“I just loved the part where she said she threw her chateaubriand,” Jordan said, referencing a part in which Wren revealed she had thrown the food at her date.