Victoria Target Theatre Society is a community theatre company made up of mature actors (age 55+). Since its inception in 1986, Target’s mandate has been to provide a voice for older people using a kind of theatre that both entertains and informs. The mandate involves using theatre as a means of exploring and transforming social attitudes to seniors, their needs and concerns, and their place in the community. The company of players meets weekly for ten months of the year to rehearse, workshop, and write plays for community performances. All the players and board members volunteer their time.
Over the past 25 years, Target has established a substantial repertoire of entertaining and informative productions on subjects related to seniors’ health and spiritual concerns and their place in the community. The two main themes of our plays are seniors’ quality of life and seniors’ health and safety. Topics include family relations, seniors and their relationship to cars, social isolation, staying safe at home and with social media, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, seniors and dating, scams and elder abuse, and prostate cancer. Based on real life research, the plays examine situations familiar to seniors and often use humour to reveal new insights into the many dilemmas faced by seniors, their families, and caregivers.
Target usually performs at the invitation of a community group, such as a school, service club or seniors’ centre, or a health care organization or support group such as Victoria Hospice or Victoria Alzheimers Society. Venues include seniors’ residences, volunteer and staff training workshops, club events, church halls, and seniors’ centres. Though primarily based in the Victoria and the neighbouring communities of the Capital Regional District, Target often takes its productions to other parts of BC and Vancouver Island.