University of Michigan Press Late Stage: Theatrical Perspectives on Age and Aging

Late Stage: Theatrical Perspectives on Age and Aging represents the first comprehensive anthology to critically interrogate the intersection of age studies with theater and performance studies. Undoing the notion of a singular, continuous self as we age—an assumption that negatively positions old age in opposition to youth—this volume challenges biological imperatives imposed by essentialist views of aging. Late Stage reconceptualizes age as an additional dimension of identity constituted through the sociocultural systems that shape the material body over time. The collection portrays aging as a dynamic and evolving process, countering ageist narratives of decline and stereotypes that homogenize later life as a fixed, undesirable state. By exploring themes such as intergenerational dialogue, elder sexualities, late style, casting practices, age-related caregiving, and artistic longevity, contributors reposition later life into complex narratives that resist normative age scripts. Drawing on gender studies, queer and feminist theory, and disability studies, the collection bridges performance analysis with theoretical frameworks and collectively addresses how aging is experienced, represented, and resisted across time and cultures. Late Stage explores key works by canonical and contemporary figures such as Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, Caryl Churchill, Clare Barron, Naomi Iizuka, Tracy Letts, David Lindsay-Abaire, Judith Malina, Robbie McCauley, Florian Zeller, and Peggy Shaw. With its innovative approach, Late Stage serves not only as a critical text for courses on performance and age, but as a call to action for expanding conversations around age in theater and society.