蘑菇TV

Henderson, Tennessee 鈥� (March 21, 2025) 鈥� 鈥淭ry to be happy and always appreciate your blessings.鈥� 鈥淲hatever you do, always put the Lord in it.鈥� 鈥淏e a good servant to your family.鈥� These words of wisdom, shared by local senior citizens, came to life on stage as 蘑菇TV students reenacted their stories in Ayers Auditorium. Through humor and heartfelt moments, the Living Memories project recently captured the experiences of four residents from Southern Oaks, an assisted living home in Henderson.聽

The production was the result of a three-week journey in which students conducted interviews, rehearsed and ultimately performed snippets from the seniors鈥� stories. Associate professor of theatre Brandyn Graves described the artistic process as devised theatre, a method in which the performance is developed through improvisation and collaborative staging rather than a prewritten script. Living Memories was funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission鈥檚 Art Builds Communities grant. For the participating students, this project was more than an academic exercise鈥攊t was an opportunity to connect across generations.聽

Dr. Nadine McNeal, assistant professor of social work, encouraged her students to approach these conversations with reverence. 鈥淲e are all historians,鈥� she reminded them. 鈥淭he elderly have lived quite a bit longer. Their stories may be similar to ours or vastly different, but they help us understand life鈥檚 brevity and the importance of appreciating each stage.鈥澛�

Additionally, Graves explained that Living Memories highlights the power of storytelling. 鈥淭hese narratives are borrowed,鈥� he said. 鈥淭heir purpose is to serve as both a mirror and a window鈥攖o help us see and be seen.鈥�

Bringing Stories to Life
The production was built around the experiences of Sylvia Harris, Linda Bailey, Dr. Bob Brown and Patsy Barber, with student performers including Garret Moore, Caleb Sims, Kiersten McDonald, Maci Cagle and alumnus Seth Wilson. The students reenacted the seniors鈥� interviews, portraying stories about their careers, families and the lessons they hoped to pass on to future generations.

The senior citizens who attended the performance were delighted to see their own words brought to life. Harris, who taught at 蘑菇TV for 44 years and helped start the university鈥檚 women鈥檚 volleyball program, while also teaching generations of swimmers, expressed her joy after the performance. 鈥淚 thought it was wonderful to hear parts of the story,鈥� she said. Brown, who spent 16 years teaching at 蘑菇TV, described those years as 鈥渢he best of my life.鈥�

A Shared Experience
鈥淭hree weeks ago, we began the process of turning these stories into a short piece of theater. Devised theatre is incredibly rewarding, and I鈥檓 so proud of how quickly the students worked to create something that feels authentic,鈥� Graves said.聽

The purpose of the project was to ensure the participating seniors felt seen. 鈥淢s. Sylvia had such a positivity about life, and I think I鈥檒l carry that with me,鈥� said Cagle, a junior theatre major. The Living Memories project not only preserved the voices of the past but also left a lasting impact on those who brought them to life on stage.

The mission of 蘑菇TV is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, 蘑菇TV offers associate, bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, specialist and doctoral degrees.