Daily Staff Writer

Who wants to live forever? In a society where the life expectancy increases every year, little thought is given to the what will become of us when we hit our golden years. Blithe situation comedies about senior citizens aside, the reality of growing old is often less than golden.

These issues are addressed in a production of “The Gin Game” by D.L. Coburn starring Patrick Gouran, associate professor in performing arts, and his wife Kay Rhoads. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play will open April 7 at the ACTORS Studio, 120 Abraham Drive, in Ames.

The full-length play is a tragic-comedy set on the sun porch of a home for the aged. Two strangers meet for the first time and play a game of gin rummy while talking about life, being old, mistakes, and exploring issues of dominance and submission in males and females.

Gouran plays Weller, an embittered old man set in his ways who sees his old age as a long wait before death.

Rhoads plays Fonsia, the new resident and foil for Weller’s grumpiness. She also plays a mean game of gin rummy.

The play is a social commentary that deals with aging with a sense of humor.

According to Gouran, the play is not depressing in its look at aging, but rather works in different ways to explore aging.

“This isn’t just doom and gloom, it’s got some funny stuff in it, too,” he said. “It makes fun of stereotypical roles of men and women. Weller tries to show her how to play gin and gets the shit beat out of him.”

The play explores a theme common to those of all ages, but one which is more profoundly sad for the elderly when one considers how much more time they have had to get things right.

“There are a couple of levels this play works on,” Gouran said. “One is that those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. These people are in their 70s in this dilapidated retirement home and we find out that even at that age there are mistakes people made in their youth that they still keep making because there are a lot of negatives they never really dealt with.”

Rhoads concurred with Gouran.

“I think it tells a lot about the human experience in that we tend to play out the same scenarios again and again in our lives, because of our personalities and the way in which we handle situations,” Rhoads said.

The play also explores the dilemma of growing old in a society that has made it a mission to prolong life without providing for the consequences that naturally follow.

“Now that we live in an age where people live into their 70s, we don’t know what to do with them,” he said. “There is a line in the play that really sums it up: ‘Don’t kid yourself; this place is a storehouse for the emotionally and intellectually dead, just a place to store their bodies until they quit.'”

“The Gin Game” also marks the first time the husband and wife team have had a chance to take the stage together.

“It’s Kay’s debut in terms of stagework — her first major on-stage role,” Gouran said. “We’ve done a few videos and training films before, but never anything this substantive. Thus far it’s been fine. She’s been acting the last two or three years, but it is quite different from the stage.”

While Rhoads enjoys working with her husband, some complications can arise.

“It’s fun to work with Pat and it presents some challenges in that we know each other so well,” she said. “Comfort and familiarity must be overcome and it can be a challenge.”

Gouran is a familiar sight to ISU’s Fisher Theater, but “The Gin Game” will be his first time in the Ames community theater.

“I was sitting at my desk last year when Carole Horowitz asked if we would do this,” he said. “It’s all volunteer so there are no paid positions and a limited budget, but they have done a knockout job.”