Over Forty
Book by Celeste Bedford-Walker
Music and Lyrics by Weldon Irvine

The Characters
Gwen Matthews (Nyjah Moore)
Patricia Ellen Shaw (Karla Washington)
Annie Ruth Johnson (Deborah Starling-Sims)
Beryl Page (Linda Hunt)

Director's Notes
Celeste Walker in her wonderful play Over Forty, gives us an excellent vehicle to celebrate women who are over forty. These are women who possess drive, humor, initiative, stamina and wisdom. They bring energy, life and love to all things they do. Each of these women, on stage, in the audience and in the community, know the pain of losing, the joy of succeeding, the fear of failure or rejection, the desire for unconditional love. If you pass them in your community, you can feel their mature/stable presence, the glowing twinkle in their eyes, the lift of the shoulders and the head that suggest they know life presents a never-ending cycle of the coexistence of humor and seriousness. You know that women over forty continue to bake tons of cookies, to mend tattered socks, to cook delicious meals, to share the grand legacies of the past, to make this world a better place for generations to come.

On another level, this play reminds us all that women over forty are warm, vibrant human beings who may be searching for love, bringing new life into the world, sharing their spirituality with others. Some women over forty take each day and somehow make each moment have more meaning by their positive, enthusiastic view about life. Most of these women hold a special place within the hearts of those who experience them. We should appreciate women over forty reaching for their fiftieth birthday for the way they care. It brings great happiness to celebrate these strong and remarkable women. Kuntu Repertory Theatre invites you to tip your hat, to give a hug, to share a smile with next lady over forty that you meet.