Awesome Foundation Rhode Island's first grant is being issued to Elder Residents at Winslow Gardens in East Providence, who recently started a theater club to preform for their neighbors, other seniors, and the public. Winslow Gardens is an assisted living community that houses over 200 elders, most of whom are on Medicaid and over 80 years old.

The theater club is a resident-led club, where the residents get to write, act, and direct a play themselves. The members choose and design the costumes, do each other’s make-up, and make props together. The plays are preformed on the Winslow Gardens dining room and are usually organized with a resident/staff showing, and a family and friends showing.

After their recent first performance, one elder star reported, “the play inspired us to feel young again, to be creative. For most of us, this was the first time we were ever in a play. We never thought we would be able to do anything like this, until the club started.”

The club will be using funds to assist with A/V needs, costuming, and snacks.