Why Theatre Celebrates Old Age
Molly Flatt observes, and I agree: one of the advantages of the theatre over movies is that the theatre has so many great roles for actors over the age of 40 — and even over the age of 60. (Derek Jacobi as Lear is pictured.) Partly this has to do with theatre’s lack of close-up (although, in case you haven’t noticed, the close-up is a dying art in movies: blame it on Botox!) and partly it has to do with the fact that playwrights are allowed in the theatre to write great parts for senior citizens. And partly it has to do with the fact that people over 40 are generally the ones who can afford theatre tickets and they like seeing people their own age on stage.
