Victoria Parke

VICTORIA PARKE is the heartbeat of her generation of senior citizens. Once an employable actress, she was forced into retirement because of her age. Since then she has taken it upon herself to become the director of a street theatre of retirees who haven’t given up living. They perform using a park bench as their stage, hence the name of their troupe: Geras Guerrilla Park Bench Theatre. Victoria is living with an old man named HERBERT GARRISON. He made a few movies back in the day until he was banned because his dancing at that time was considered obscene. He went into obscurity and, as time passed, drifted to this town like so many others, to die. He met Victoria instead and she won’t let him give up without a fight. Their life together lately has been one of constant bickering and insults. When a poor Puerto Rican girl who has become enamored with the world of theatre as presented by Victoria and her troupe, is chastised unfairly by Herbert, Victoria finally gives up on the man, packs up her belongings in a grocery cart, and looks for another place to live. She spends the first night sleeping under a bridge and wakes up the next morning to find that all of her meager possessions have been stolen.   Alone and living on the streets, Victoria’s world is completely turned upside down. She has been stripped of her past and her future. It's now a test of her faith in herself and what she believes. Is Herbert right? Is it wrong to persevere at her age? An old friend she has been visiting in a nursing home along with its residents have not been helpful in coming to a positive conclusion that it is. However, she is inspired to save them (and herself) by concocting a show at the home that climaxes with the theatre troupe and a local street gang helping the old folks "break out" of the nursing home that includes the hijacking a public bus. This event is both funny and heartwarming as the generations come together to work together as collaborators in a conspiracy and to share the holiday fireworks and each other. It ends on a realistic bittersweet note where life leaves open-ended stories with Victoria reassuring one of the nursing home residents not to worry about getting back to the "home," because they will probably get a police escort. The story concludes with everyone watching fireworks exploding over a lake during the town's fireworks celebration. And for one sweet moment, everyone is young again.