Productions

Hannah Block Historic USO Community Arts Center is “Rockin’ the Boat” with New Senior Production of Guys and Dolls

From a young age, theater performers can grow through Jr. productions, school musicals, and
eventually into mainstage performances. But after a certain age, opportunities often become
more limited. For many adults 55 and older, especially those who never had the chance to
perform earlier in life, the stage can begin to feel out of reach.
Not anymore.

This past year, Music Theatre International (MTI) released five “Senior” editions of beloved
musicals specifically designed to help older adults take the stage. Now, the Hannah Block
Historic USO/Community Arts Center, also known lovingly as the HBHUSO/CAC, is embracing
that vision with its inaugural senior production of Guys and Dolls, proving that the spotlight has
no age limit.

At the HBHUSO/CAC, a new kind of theater magic is unfolding.
Not because of elaborate sets or Broadway spectacle, though there will certainly be music,
laughter, and bright lights, but because a group of senior performers are stepping into the
spotlight, many for the very first time in decades.
Opening Friday, June 5, the HBHUSO/CAC will debut Guys and Dolls Sr., the inaugural
production of “Let’s Take the Stage,” a new senior-focused theater initiative designed to create
artistic opportunities, social connection, and creative empowerment for older adults in the Cape
Fear region.
And according to those leading the project, this is only the beginning.
Susan Habas, Executive Director of Thalian Association Community Theatre, said the response
to the production has already exceeded expectations.
“This is our inaugural production,” Habas said. “But after seeing the response from both the cast
and the community, we already know this is something we want to grow for years to come.”
Habas said the timing felt natural as Wilmington’s growing retiree population continues to look
for meaningful ways to connect, create, and stay active in the community.

“We are always very focused on making this building a great asset for area residents of all
ages,” she explained. “We really want it to be synonymous with opportunities for our more
senior residents as well.”
But Guys and Dolls Sr. is about much more than putting on a show.
For director Laurene Perry, the production has become an opportunity to give longtime
audience members a chance to finally take center stage themselves.
“These are the people who have sat in the audience for 40 years of different shows and thought
to themselves, ‘I could do that,’ but they never did,” Perry said. “So this gives them an
opportunity not only to do it, but to do it and have a part other than the little old man or little old
lady in the play.”
The cast includes a mixture of experienced performers and complete newcomers. Some arrived
with years of theater experience, while others were stepping onto a stage for the very first time.
“You know that’s the case when you have to start with ‘This is stage right, this is stage left,’”
Perry laughed.
For many cast members, however, the production has quickly become far more than simply
performing a musical.
“They come early before rehearsal and they talk for like 30 minutes just about life,” said
Community Arts Center Director Stacie Smith. “They all wanted that outlet and that friendship.”
Smith describes the atmosphere as energizing, not only for the cast, but for the building itself.
“While they’re the older generation, they’re giving the building new life,” she said.
That spirit of renewal feels especially meaningful inside the historic HBHUSO/CAC building
itself, a cornerstone of Wilmington’s arts community since 1941. Originally opened as a wartime
USO facility, the building eventually evolved organically into a thriving community arts center.
“You’re talking about generations and generations of people who have looked at this iconic
building as a place they go to a show or go to a class,” Habas said. “That is why we stand very
proudly as one of the cornerstones of Wilmington’s arts community.”
The “Let’s Take the Stage” initiative already includes free monthly dance workshops and
audition workshops, with plans to expand into voice and acting classes in the future.
For Perry, the most meaningful part of the experience has already happened.
“I had success when these people showed up at auditions,” she said. “All I really wanted from
this was to see it happen.”
She hopes audiences walk away with a renewed perspective on aging, creativity, and visibility.

“I hope what they take away is, ‘We ain’t dead yet,’” Perry said with a laugh. “We still have some
energy. We still have the courage to try something new.”
That message has resonated deeply with cast members as well.
“Now that I am retired, I am thrilled to return to the stage,” said cast member Doug Johnson.
“When I saw this audition, I immediately signed up, eager to make performing a regular part of
my retirement.”
Another cast member, Jackie Robinson, hopes audiences walk away “with an appreciation of
what the 55+ generation are capable of doing.”
Community theater has always been about more than applause. It is about belonging. About
finding connection, purpose, and joy under the stage lights.
And in this production, that mission feels more visible than ever.
“There really is a place for everyone in theater,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter what your skill set
is, or how old or how young you are. There is a place for you, and you will be seen and heard
and valued.”
As opening night approaches, the cast of Guys and Dolls Sr. is doing more than rehearsing a
musical.
They are building friendships. Rediscovering confidence. Creating community.
And when the cast launches into the show-stopping number “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the
Boat,” audiences may realize that the song’s joyful spirit mirrors exactly what is happening
inside the HBHUSO/CAC itself, a community coming alive, taking chances, and refusing to sit
quietly on the sidelines of life.
Perhaps most importantly, these performers are reminding Wilmington that the spotlight has no
age limit, and that sometimes it is never too late to rock the boat.
Guys and Dolls Sr. runs June 5-7 at the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center.
Tickets are available online at: https://wilmingtoncommunityarts.org.
The Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center is managed by Thalian Association
Community Theatre for the City of Wilmington.