On Friday, May 3, Life Adult Day Academy (LADA) transformed Parkview Physicians Group ArtsLab into Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, complete with fun props, creative costume pieces, and joyous acting as these characters sang sea shanties and assumed the role of a pirate for an hour.

And as entertaining as this swashbuckling, toe-tapping performance could be, the true joy for those in the crowd was seeing how much fun the actors themselves were having on stage. “These performances rely on an audience that is both engaged and supportive,” said Anna Ross, Audiences Unlimited executive director. “The audience provides an energy that feeds the performers and helps them bring their best selves to the show.”

“Our students look forward to this performance year-round,” said Gloria Minnich, director. “They remember it from year to year and can even tell you what role they played. They wear the t-shirts from each performance with pride. The memories they make during these performances are profound.”

Truly, the audience served as a memory maker for adults with disabilities. “Performing in general is really exciting,” said Minnich, “and this one was larger than life, complete with sea shanties that got in your bones and had you tapping your toes in no time!”