As part of our initiative to support senior Maine theater artists, SRT is proud to sponsor The Daytime Players' production of "The Whales of August," by David Berry, at The Old White Church, Friday and Saturday, March 31st and April 1st, at 7:30, and Sunday, April 2nd, at 2:30 PM.

Tickets are $10 at the door by cash or check - no reservations. Doors open at 7 PM for evening shows, and 2 PM for the matinee. We hope to see you there!

THE WHALES OF AUGUST TUSSLES WITH QUESTIONS OF AGING

The Whales of August, a classic of modern theater by playwright David Berry, is set on an island off the coast of Maine. In it a 70-year-old sister, who is a virtual servant to her needy older sister, desperately wants to break out on her own and experience life again. And if there is romance in her future, so be it.

"Whales" is produced by the Daytime Players and sponsored by the Saco River Theatre. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at the Old White Church, 15 Salmon Falls Rd., Buxton. Tickets are available at the door, $10 cash or check.

The Daytime Players’ production of The Whales of August is probably the first (at least in the Portland area) featuring an age-appropriate cast. The leading characters in the script are 75 and 86 years old. They are played here by actresses 70 and 85. The rest of the characters in the script are seniors. So is this cast.

Why is it important to have an older cast?” asks director Katy Marshall. “The script deals with some important issues brought on by aging – whether to give in and forgive long-standing grievances or carry them to the grave, whether it is seemly to fall in love again, what will become of us in old age, who will take care of us, will we have enough money to live out our years comfortably? It’s a long list that would be very difficult for younger actors to enact.

Whales star Muriel Kenderdine, who has to be the grand dame of Portland theater, "is as talented as anyone around,” Marshall says. Kenderdine’s list of roles and shows stretch back 63 years – musicals, comedies, dramas, movies, ads, you name it. Her only concession to aging is that she doesn’t do high-stepping dance numbers anymore.

The Daytime Players is a troupe of senior actors, directors and playwrights. The group has an open-door policy, welcoming anyone who wants to be involved. They can be reached at k_mars43@yahoo.com.