Theater, performing arts improve longevity
Last December, the University College London used data from over 6,700 participants to show a link between mortality and the arts, concluding that adults who engaged in the arts had a lower risk of dying young.
This study joins other evidence to support how art can have a positive effect on one’s health, which is why Tompkins Weekly asked locals about how one aspect of this – theater – can help promote longevity in older adults.
Sources agreed that theater can have a positive effect on nearly anyone’s life. Stephen Nunley, managing director of the Kitchen Theatre, said though there are a variety of reasons why people of all ages attend live performances, he’s noticed some general trends in their reactions to what they see.
“For many people, it’s thought-provoking,” Nunley said. “You run the gamut of emotions watching people perform. You get the excitement of things happening right in front of you.”
Catherine Weidner, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at Ithaca College, said another positive aspect of theater is the exposure to new ideas, cultures and beliefs.
“It gives us something to talk about besides ourselves and it challenges us to think critically about a situation or a culture or an experience that we might not have,” Weidner said. “I am a changed person because I was in that room that day.”
Shirley Serotsky, associate artistic director and education director for the Hangar Theatre, said theater also provides the opportunity for a shared experience, and that socialization can be beneficial for many.
“[Theater] creates a sense of collective experience and community that, frankly, in previous generations … we mostly experienced in houses of worship,” she said. “It’s the exposure to lives that are both fuller and different to their own can be a really welcome experience. … It reminds us that the world is bigger than us.”
Brett Bossard, executive director of Cinemapolis, said he’s seen a similar effect at his movie theater. Though he shows movies and not plays, he said the adult-geared and artistic films Cinemapolis shows, along with the atmosphere in the theater, create a similar feel to that of a traditional theater.
“Because of the kind of movies that we play, it really is a place where people have an opportunity to talk about things that are affecting the community in a way that’s a little bit less formal than, say, going to a Common Council meeting or something like that,” Bossard said. “There’s not a lot of other opportunities for that in our community in modern society.”
These effects can also be seen in the older population, but sources said there are other ways that theater benefits older audiences in unique ways. Weidner, who is over 50 herself, said she enjoys going to the theater because it allows her to step outside herself and her responsibilities, and for other folks her age, theater can have a similar effect.
“When I go to the theater, I know something’s going to happen and I’m OK with putting myself in the hands of someone. It’s about relinquishing that control,” she said. “For people over 50, it’s also a sense of being out in the world being away from the stress of our lives. … It’s an escape.”
Nunley said retired adults often have more time on their hands and thus greater opportunity to attend the theater.
“For older people, they have often times the money and the time to do something that maybe they weren’t able to do when they were younger,” he said. “Theater is a great way to have sometimes excitement in your life that you might have less of because you’re not in a working situation. It might present situations that you wouldn’t otherwise get exposed to.”
As discussed in previous columns, though retired individuals often have more free time, they can struggle to enjoy the relationships and activities they once had, which is why socialization is crucial to good mental health. Bossard said theater can be a good source of that necessary socialization.
“For seniors, it’s the chance to have a place that is safe, that they know a lot of people,” he said. “It’s a way to get out of the house and be active. I think especially for people who are more advanced in age, having those opportunities to get out [are important]. … It provides those social opportunities that make life better.”
All of these positive effects ultimately can lead to better mental health, which in turn can help improve someone’s life expectancy, sources said.
“In the same way that physical activity extends your life, I do think that mental stimulation and that kind of engagement in ideas and arts keeps your mental acuity sharper,” Bossard said.
Weidner echoed that sentiment, adding that socialization and engagement are important aspects to a healthy life after retirement.
“I bet if you took a group of 100 people and you made them go to the theater once a week, they’d live to be 100. And why is that?” she said. “They’re singing along or they’re talking to each other about something or walking out of the theater and turning to each other and saying, ‘What do you think happens next?’”
Nunley said though he’s seen these and other positive effects of theater, he knows there are many who don’t take advantage of the many arts opportunities in the county.
“Working for the Kitchen, the hardest thing is getting those people to come in to see anything,” Nunley said. “The best thing that you can do is get people exposed to it. … There’s a lot of theater here. There’s a lot of opportunity, but I think there’s a lot of people who don’t investigate it.”
If any readers are older adults who perhaps have never attended the theater or haven’t in a while, sources offered some advice on how to reap these and other benefits.
“Take a friend. Choose something that you think you might be interested in,” Weidner said. “Have an open mind and don’t read it in advance. Don’t read the review. Let yourself have the real experience and see what happens.”
