Above: Mary Edes and Hans Stafford rehearse “Elderville” (Photo: Richard Knox)
By Richard Knox
Aging, as we all know, is an undeniable part of life. But what if..?
What if there were a magical realm where everyone rapidly aged to a healthy 82 and thereafter enjoyed life for all eternity?
“Yes, eighty-two years! It’s a glorious age!” enthuses one denizen of the mystical village of “Elderville,” a farcical, home-grown romp hitting the stage of the Sandwich Town Hall for six performances beginning July 11.
“No more worries about jobs!” she explains to two 30-something Millennials from the City who’ve lost their way on a hike in the woods and stumbled upon the Brigadoon-like town. “No more worries about pandemics! When you enter Elderville you become immune to serious diseases and debates about treatment.”
“In months I grew to a ripe old age/And became well-known as a learned sage,” a spry old resident sings. “I pursued my hobbies and my interests grew/And discovered life begins at 82!”
Another chimes in (with a pointed look at the audience): “Our leaders support all the arts and guide us with wisdom and empathy.”
“Elderville” the musical is the brainchild of Ellen Farnum, a Tamworth resident of a certain age, in collaboration with fellow Tamworthian Peggy Johnson. Farnum is the lyricist and playwright whose wit is sharp and rhymes are keen. Johnson is a well-known, all-purpose area musician. Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and…) posthumously contributed the music.
The show is directed by Farnum’s daughter Heather Hamilton, professor of theater and dance at Minnesota State University. The two young-ish city folks are played by Farnum’s daughter Rachel Hamilton and Heather’s husband, Ryan Sturgis.
“Elderville” premiered in Sandwich six years ago in the blithe pre-pandemic summer of 2019. (The current production is subtitled “An Even Olderville.”) It was such a hit that its creators decided to bring it back, with only a few topical tweaks to script and lyrics. The production is sponsored by the Yeoman’s Fund for the Arts, a 25-year-old grassroots group that dreams up multifarious projects.
But “Elderville” has even deeper roots in Sandwich, stretching back decades to the years when Bob Bates, a locally legendary musical impresario, staged annual summertime Gilbert & Sullivan operettas – “Mikado,” “Pirates of Penzanze,” “H.M.S. Pinafore” and other classics – with all-local casts. Then as now, Sandwich (year-round population 1,400) boasts a remarkably rich theatrical tradition, with two and sometimes three regular troupes plus occasional pop-up productions.
It’s particularly easy to cast “Elderville” in Sandwich. Forty-five percent of the town is over 65, compared to 28 percent for Carroll County as a whole and 18 percent for the state. Only one in eight residents is under 19 years old.
“The numbers are very telling,” says Dr. Julie Dolan, a retired veterinarian and a member of the town’s planning committee. “We are definitely a very old town compared to the state – and New Hampshire is an old state.”
Beyond that, Sandwich is home to an unusual number of highly active elders, including its well-known Over-the-Hill Hikers club, other weekly walking groups, and high proportion of peak-baggers, not to mention book club members, musicians, artists, craftspeople and avid gardeners. “I’ve often wondered whether there’s something special in the water there,” says Renee Liebert, a personal trainer in Ashland whose clients include elder Sandwichians.
Above: Ellen Farnum, “Elderville” playwright, lyricist and actor, rehearses “It Really Doesn’t Matter” (Photo: Richard Knox)
Back to the Elderville plot, there’s inspired silliness as Justin and Taylor, the young city folk, become increasingly desperate to escape Elderville as they begin to show signs of rapid aging. At one point, Taylor refuses the offer of a fan. “I’m too young for hot flashes!” she protests. With knowing laughter, the menopausal contingent of Eldervillians breaks into a fan dance, singing:
Youth lasts but a moment,
Oh take, oh take this fan.
As your hormones plummet
You must cool off when you can…
Another number lists all the annoyances that Eldervillians have left behind – the critical relatives, intrusive telemarketers, bossy supervisors, “the paycheck that you slave for and the workload that won’t cease….”
To Taylor’s horror, Justin begins to ponder the advantages of growing older, reminiscing about the times when he had time to write poetry. “I used to go out in the morning, walk across the dewy grass…breathe in the gentle dawn…and write!”
No spoiler here, but the plot takes a poignant twist and ends, decades later, in a touching denouement. And for all the farce, there’s a philosophical final number that audiences will find affecting and thought-provoking:
Life is but a strange adventure
Filled with steps we can’t foresee.
We set forth upon a venture
Where we end is mystery.
We may plan and work it seems
But Fate has her own grand schemes
We must bend and trust our dreams
Share our love with all we see
Live with hope our joyful song!
“Elderville” performances will be Fridays and Saturdays, July 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 7:30 P.M. in the Sandwich Town Hall, with Sunday matinees on July 13 and 20 at 2 P.M. Ticket reservations are available through eldervilleshow@gmail.com or through 603-944-0018, with a suggested donation of $20.
Richard Knox is a 78-year-old Sandwich resident who was in the 2019 production of “Elderville” and appears in the 2025 cast.