Based in Oakland, California, Stagebridge is the nation’s oldest – and most innovative – senior theatre company. Founded in 1978 by Dr. Stuart Kandell, we’ve grown from an acting class for five women in their 70s to a nationally recognized performing arts and outreach program that is changing how people experience and view aging.

When Stagebridge first began, being over 60 was not nearly as much fun as it is today. Many seniors languished in retirement home settings that provided little stimulation beyond a TV screen or Tuesday night bingo. Today, we use improv, acting and storytelling to help people have the time of their life- at this stage of their life.

In addition to entertaining thousands with original, high quality plays and musicals, we also enrich and educate through creative expression. Our programs include:

• Affordable Excellence. We offer over 50 different classes in acting, improvisation, storytelling, playwriting, musical theatre and other genres. Taught by the Bay Area’s most respected artists and teachers, many classes culminate in a live performance at the Ashby Stage. For those interested in advanced training, we also offer certification through Performing Arts Training Institute (PATI). Learn more.
• Storytelling in the Schools. Elders and professional artists use storytelling to share their personal stories with at-risk students and encourage them to tell their own stories. Studies show this unique intergenerational interaction helps develop students’ reading, language arts, dramatic arts and public speaking skills and the program is considered a national model for such work. Learn more.
• Improv for Empathy. Stagebridge uses improv and other acting techniques to train professionals who work with the elderly. Our award-winning See Me! nurse training program helps caregivers gain a deeper insight into their elderly patients. Learn more.
• Outreach Performances. We bring musical performances and workshops to thousands of elders in residential facilities, hospice care, Alzheimer’s facilities, adult day care and senior centers. Members of our community’s most vulnerable population not only are energized by seeing their peers having so much fun on stage, they also get a chance to express their own creativity through onsite workshops Learn more.

Stagebridge loves having a dramatic impact on your community. Curious about the people who make this happen? Click on any of the bios to learn more or contact us today.