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The Wallis | Creative Aging

Explore creativity and connect with others in The Wallis' courses for older adults!

CREATIVE AGING CLASSES

The Wallis offers courses for older adults designed to stimulate creativity, connect to others, and share your personal stories. Courses are held either in-person at The Wallis or on ZOOM platform. Class sessions start several times per year and sell out quickly!

Culminating event for all classes will take place on May 2 & 3

Staged Stories 1

Instructor: Paula Weston Solano

Do you have a story to tell? Staged Stories jumpstarts your creativity and invites you to start writing YOUR story. Through a series of short assignments students explore various themes and excavate memories and life events, learning the power and importance of finding and sharing your voice. The class culminates with a public sharing of a selected piece at The Wallis.

Staged Stories 1

Wednesdays 1 – 3 P.M. March 19 - April 23, 2025

Staged Stories 1 is open to all students. This is an in-person course offered for adults ages 55+.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Paula Weston Solano

Paula Weston Solano, professional actor, writer, solo performer, and Community Based Theater artist has performed in numerous theatre productions and television. As a teaching artist, she’s worked with Center Theater Group, Cornerstone Theater Company, CSU Summer Arts, Fringe Benefits, Watts Labor Community Action Committee, and others. Plays produced by Cornerstone, Highways, Shakespeare Festival L.A./WPY and Cal Poly Pomona. Published work includes contributions to “Staging Social Justice, Collaborating to Create Activist Theatre”, “Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents, and Teachers, and “Conducting a Life: Reflections on the Theatre of Maria Irene Fornes.” Lecturer for Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Theatre and New Dance since 2005. Paula is thrilled to be working with the Creative Aging Program and is looking forward to all the stories to come.

Staged Stories 2

Instructor: Paula Weston Solano

Staged Stories 2 builds on the community and storytelling from Stage Stories 1, offering students opportunities to deepen and expand their writing practice. The class focuses on short assignments and culminates with a public sharing of a selected piece at The Wallis.

Staged Stories 2 (Prerequisite)

Wednesdays 10:30 – 12:30 P.M. March 19 - April 23, 2025

Staged Stories 2 is open to students who have completed Staged Stories 1. This is an in-person course offered for adults ages 55+.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Paula Weston Solano

Paula Weston Solano, professional actor, writer, solo performer, and Community Based Theater artist has performed in numerous theatre productions and television.
As a teaching artist, she’s worked with Center Theater Group, Cornerstone Theater Company, CSU Summer Arts, Fringe Benefits, Watts Labor Community Action Committee, and others. Plays produced by Cornerstone, Highways, Shakespeare Festival L.A./WPY and Cal Poly Pomona. Published work includes contributions to “Staging Social Justice, Collaborating to Create Activist Theatre”, “Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents, and Teachers, and “Conducting a Life: Reflections on the Theatre of Maria Irene Fornes.” Lecturer for Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Theatre and New Dance since 2005. Paula is thrilled to be working with the Creative Aging Program and is looking forward to all the stories to come.

Beyond Staged Stories

Instructor: Debra Pasquerette

Beyond Staged Stories continues the journey of writing your story with the option of adding fiction and provides new ways to add to your creative writing toolbox. Beyond staged stories can be taken multiple times as the content changes each session. The class focuses on short assignments and culminates with a public sharing of a selected piece at The Wallis.

Beyond Staged Stories (Prerequisite)

Tuesdays 1 – 3 P.M. March 18 - April 22, 2025
Wednesdays 10 – 12 P.M. March 19 - April 23, 2025
Wednesdays 1 – 3 P.M. March 19 - April 23, 2025
Thursdays 10 - 12 P.M. March 20 - April 24, 2025
Thursdays 1 - 3 P.M. March 20 - April 24, 2025

Beyond Staged Stories is open to students who have completed Staged Stories 1& 2. This is an in-person course offered for adults ages 55+.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Debra Pasquerette

Debra Pasquerette is the Director of Creative Aging Programs at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. She has been with The Wallis since 2014 and was previously Manager of Community Engagement. Debra has worked in theater and arts management for over 30 years, including serving as the Director of Education at The Geffen Playhouse. Debra is a master teaching artist, writer, director, and mixed media artist. She holds a degree in Performance Studies from Arizona State University and continued MFA studies at New York University.

Scripting

Instructor: Will Nedved

Have you ever wanted to write a play, TV pilot, or screenplay but didn’t know where to start? Or have you begun a script you haven't been able to finish? SCRIPTING will teach you the fundamentals of story building so that you can make it to “Fade Out. The End.” This popular script writing workshop, open to any type of script project or genre, focuses on dramatic structure: the sequencing of character-driven scenes for maximum emotional effect. Come to class with some ideas, an open mind, and the script writer’s most essential tool: index cards

Scripting 1

Mondays 9 – 11 A.M. - March 17 - April 21, 2025

SCRIPTING I: IDEA TO OUTLINE
Available to writers new to this course, as well as returning writers. There is no prerequisite for enrollment.
This is a remote course offered online for adults ages 55+

Cost: $125

Scripting 2

Tuesdays 9 – 11 A.M. - March 18 - April 22, 2025

SCRIPTING II: OUTLINE TO DRAFT
Available to returning writers who have established the major beats of their story and are developing their outlines. To enroll, please send a draft of your outline to williamnedved@gmail.com.
This is a remote course offered online for adults 55+.

Cost: $125

Scripting 3

Wednesdays 9 – 11 A.M. - March 19 - April 23, 2025

SCRIPTING III: WRITING IS REWRITING
Available to returning writers who have completed at least the first draft of their projects..
This is a remote course offered online for adults 55+.

Cost: $125

Instructor: William Nedved

William Nedved (he/him) is a writer and writing teacher living in Los Angeles. He is the co-founder of The Gift Theatre Company of Chicago. Recent collaborations include the musical Wanderlust at Cal State Fullerton and the 2024 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival at Steppenwolf Theatre; the audio play The Ravages with Theatre of NOTE; Medusa: The Musical with Deaf West Theatre at the Getty Villa; and the opera The Passion of McQueen at Boston Court Pasadena. He studied dramatic writing at the University of Iowa, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Southern California. WilliamNedved.com

Fiction: Creating Story

Instructor: Dan Oliverio
Tuesdays 10 – 12 P.M. March 18 - April 22, 2025

Part of being human is making up stories. We tell fairy tales to delight children, we read novels to lose ourselves in other lives, we watch movies and television to find friends on the other side of a screen. In this class you’ll explore the art of writing fiction by focusing on a specific element each week: character, plot, setting, point of view, and theme. You’ll have the option of writing a new story each week or using the feedback you receive to polish one story until it shines. The writing prompts change each term, so students can repeat the course and always find something new.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Dan Oliverio

Dan Oliverio is a writer and stage director based in Los Angeles. Recent credits include directing Patient 13 at The Matrix, and writing and directing Man Verses Moon, a play based on the life and works of Federico García Lorca. He is also the author of the non-fiction book The Round World: Life at the Intersection of Love, Sex, and Fat and a co-host of The Big Fat Gay Podcast. In addition to The Wallis, Dan has taught or designed curriculum at University of Southern California, University of San Francisco, Kaplan International, and American Jewish University.

Fiction: Story Craft

Instructor: Dan Oliverio
Tuesdays 1 – 3 P.M. March 18 - April 22, 2025

Great writers have the power to move and enthrall us, but how do they do it? What are the techniques that help a writer move beyond simply recounting an event? In this course, we’ll investigate some of the more technical aspects of writing fiction that are involved in crafting effective sentences and memorable characters. Weekly writing prompts will guide you through the topics we’ll explore, which include narrative voice, point of entry, transformation, and dialogue. Students must have successfully completed “Fiction: Creating Story” before enrolling.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Dan Oliverio

Comprehending Life Through Poetry

Instructor: Gubnit Ní Dhúinn
Wednesdays 2 – 4 P.M. March 19 - April 23, 2025

This course will encourage students to consider Poetry as a philosophical and practical tool for life. While 'penning' Poetry may be an outcome, it is not mandatory to take the class. Emphasis will be placed on the process and effect of each selected poem. The class will embody an appreciation of Poetry as a means of self-expression. This combination of poetry, creativity and philosophy will offer students instant community, focused on self-expression through their response to, and through, poetry.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Gubnit Ní Dhúinn

Gubnit Ní Dhúinn, an Irish Poet, holds respective degrees from Trinity College, Dublin, and Oxford University, England. She enjoys over a decade's worth of both creative and academic experience lecturing at Ivy league Institutions. A multi-linguist, words are her passion, and the combination of Poetry and Philosophy to deepen our understanding of life a primary objective.

Spoken Word

Instructor: Brian Sonia-Wallace
Tuesdays 10 – 12 P.M. March 18 - April 22, 2025

From the Harlem Renaissance to the Beats, Spoken Word is a form of poetry that goes back to our oldest oral traditions, and emphasizes the music of language to get out powerful messages. In this class, you'll explore where your personal story interacts with the issues you care most strongly about -- and craft powerful 3-minute pieces that give them voice!

Cost: $125

Instructor: Brian Sonia-Wallace

Brian Sonia-Wallace is the fourth Poet Laureate of West Hollywood and an Academy of American Poets Fellow, with poems appearing in American Poets, The Guardian, Rattle, and more. He is the Poet-in-Residence at the LA LGBT Center and is the co-founder of the award-winning West Hollywood Slam Team.

Culminating event for all classes will take place on May 2 & 3

Afro Latin Dance with BODYTRAFFIC

Instructor: Joan Rodriguez
Fridays 9:30 - 10:30 A.M. March 21, April 4, & April 11, 2025

Discover the joy of movement in this fun and uplifting dance class designed to support both physical and mental well-being while exploring the rich styles and techniques of Latin and Afro-Cuban dance traditions. Through engaging exercises, participants will develop movement fundamentals, improve mobility and balance, and connect with the music and rhythms that make these styles so dynamic. No dance experience is required—just a willingness to move and enjoy! Designed for ages 55+

Cost: $75

Instructor: Joan Rodriguez

Joan Rodriguez is a Cuban-born dancer, choreographer, and educator known for his dynamic versatility, seamlessly blending Afro-Latin, contemporary, and multimedia styles. He graduated from the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte, earning the “Best Graduate of the Year” award, and began his career with DanzAbierta and Malpaso Dance Company. In 2016, after relocating to the United States as a political refugee, Joan moved to Arizona, where he focused on creating, teaching, and producing multimedia projects in collaboration with museums and as Guest Faculty for Arizona State University. His journey continued in New York with Parsons Dance, where he choreographed an original work for the 2018 GenerationNow fellowship. He later created an original work for Connecticut Ballet, while serving as Guest Artist in Residence at various universities and arts centers across the U.S. Joan plays a pivotal role at BODYTRAFFIC as the master teacher in education and outreach, Social Media Manager, and lead content creator. His acclaimed commissioned work, Bloquea’o, has toured the U.S., and he is now preparing for a second commission. Joan’s passion lies in building community through dance, sharing movement across diverse settings, and pioneering innovative intersections between performance and media. This is Joan’s fourth season dancing with BODYTRAFFIC, and his first season as Rehearsal Director.

Ballet Brain Circuit

Instructor: Ingrid Graham
Thursdays 11 – 12 P.M. March 20 - April 10, 2025

Physical and mental fitness should be connected. It’s one of the smartest things you can do to ensure you are healthy and lucid in your later years. Ballet Brain Circuit ® is comprised of conditioning and stretch exercises based on ballet training principles. The class is designed to improve cognitive function while increasing muscular endurance, cardiovascular health, balance and coordination. It decreases chronic stress and promotes an uplifting mood. No experience with ballet needed, all are welcome.

Cost: $100

Instructor: Ingrid Graham

Ingrid is a classically trained dancer, choreographer and educator. Her performance and choreography affiliations include the Edinburgh Festival, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the California African American Museum. As a guest artist she performed at Stephen Sondheim’s Gala Benefit in NYC.

Rewriting Destiny

Rewriting Destiny - with the Feldenkrais Method

Instructor: Ami Shulman
Thursday & Friday 9:30 – 10:30 A.M. March 27 & March 28, 2025

The body is the archive of our lived experience. These life experiences are scribed in us and form the foundations of our habitual ways of being. Through the interplay between our patterns of thinking and our patterns of action, this series will inspire a curiosity within as we delve into a world of problem-solving. The Feldenkrais Method is a learning modality that uses movement and awareness to expand our habitual tendencies, giving us more possibilities from which to respond. In this series, the movement itself is very simple and you will be encouraged to work within a range that is comfortable to you. The Feldenkrais Method promotes neurological benefits; enhances the sense of balance; improves posture and helps reduce pain.
Please note: The classes will be either sitting in a chair or lying down on a yoga mat.

Cost: $50

Instructor: Ami Shulman

Ami Shulman has worn many hats in the realms of the Performing Arts. She is a Performer; Choreographer; Movement Director; Educator and Somatic Therapist. Ami choreographed for the National Theatre of London, UK; the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington DC where she received a Helen Hayes Award and she co-created works with the Cirque Du Soleil; the National Ballet of Canada and Ballet British Columbia. Ami has staged works internationally and has been a Rehearsal Director to the GoteborgOperans Danskompani, Sweden. Ami has taught throughout Europe, Canada and the USA including for the Netherlands Dans Theater; Venice Biennale; Cirque Du Soleil and the Juilliard School amongst others.
Her invested passion in the healing arts has brought her to present at conferences internationally. A certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, Ami’s work is published in the Feldenkrais Journal and Dance Magazine, she co-authored for the anthology Back to the Dance Itself with Dr Hillel Braude.

Culminating event for all classes will take place on May 2 & 3

Playmakers

Instructor: Will Nedved
Thursdays 10 - 12 P.M. March 20 - April 24, 2025

Whether you're an actor, writer, and/or designer - or have always wanted to explore that side of yourself - join us for this in-person workshop. We are creating a new play through improvisation and writing. The story is set at a funeral where bombshell revelations are exposed. The working title is "Keep Living." We welcome new participants to our process!

Cost: $125

Instructor: Will Nedved

William Nedved is a writer and writing teacher living in Los Angeles. He is the co-founder of the gift theatre company of Chicago, a 21-year-old equity ensemble. Recent collaborations include the original musical wanderlust at Cal-State Fullerton; the audio play the ravages with theatre of note; medusa: the musical with deaf west theatre at the Getty villa; and the opera the passion of McQueen at Boston court Pasadena. He frequently adapts international films and television series into English for Netflix. He studied dramatic writing at the university of Iowa, the university of new South Wales, and the university of southern California. He is also the former associate director of communication for the Wallis.

Act 3

Act 3 All Levels

Instructor: Cindy Trost
Thursdays 1 – 3 P.M March 20 - April 24, 2025

This course takes the exploration of the Acting R.O.P.E.S. to new heights. Actors will delve into characterizations, complex relationships, and challenging scenarios throughout this program. They will continue to explore the nuance of behavior using the foundational techniques of Sandford Meisner, which leads an actor to live truthfully under imaginary circumstances. The culmination of this journey will be a showcase of final scenes at the end of the session.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Cindy Rucker Trost

Cindy Rucker Trost is the Creative Director of the Meisner Institute, which sponsors acting programs worldwide. She is a producer, director, actor, and acting teacher with 35 years of experience in Radio, Television, Film, and Live Events. Cindy began her study of the Meisner Technique in 1995 at Playhouse West and began teaching at Playhouse West in 2012. While teaching at Playhouse West, she served as assistant director and cast member of Welcome Home Soldier, one of the longest-running non-musical productions in American Theater. In addition to acting, Cindy is also a writer and poet. “The Pandemic Rat Race,” written in response to a Staged Stories class prompt, was published in the online literary magazine Drunk Monkeys (June 2021-Vol.6, No.6). She is a staunch supporter of education programs in Beverly Hills and is a past president of the Beverly Hills Education Foundation. Cindy serves on the Friends of Greystone Board of Directors and is the Friends of the Beverly Hills Public Library Board Secretary.

Shakespeare Out Loud – Hamlet

SHAKESPEARE OUT LOUD (Very out loud edition)

Instructor: Jake Broder
Wednesdays 10 – 12 P.M. March 19 - April 23, 2025

We'll be continuing our exploration of the play, by reading it aloud and working through the text, and seeing what it brings up. We work in a very collegial way: this is a course that is good for people with no experience of Shakespeare all the way to experts. We brush the dust off of the text and dig into it so we understand what is being contemplated by the playwright, and look at how the different interpretations have changed over the last 500 years, and figure out what speaks to us, now. We'll develop verse speaking abilities, and even get to a place where we can present a reading of the text, which shares our collective understanding of the work - and is simply some amazing storytelling! Come interested and you WILL NOT be disappointed. This course is good for new students as well as those who wish to continue with the class.

Cost: $125

Instructor: Jake Broder

Jake Broder lives in Los Angeles with his wife Lucy and children Ella & Louis. He is currently an Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute (at UCSF and Trinity College, Dublin), He was the Hellman Visiting Artist in 2019, which resulted in the script for his play UnRavelled www.unravelledplay.com. His play Our American Hamlet premiered at the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, and was nominated for best new play, IRNE (Boston). His musical, Miravel, won the LADCC for best score, composed by Jake. He co-wrote and originated the role of Louis in Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, winning Jake Ovation, LADCC, Garland and LA Weekly awards for Best Actor and Best Musical the Geffen Playhouse, directed by Oscar-winner, Taylor Hackford, and since toured Chicago and SoCal. As an actor, Jake recently shot The Patient, with Steve Carrell, was on The Morning Show on Apple TV+. and has a recurring role on HBO’s Silicon Valley He received his BA from Tufts University and trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. www.jakebroder.com

ENROLL TODAY

If you are not yet a registered Creative Aging student, click HERE to register and a Wallis staff member will contact you.

If you are already a registered Creative Aging student please email Charleen Molina,CMOLINA@THEWALLIS.ORG with the name of your desired course, or call (310) 295-1918