There’s no stopping the iron-willed Carrie Watts, protagonist of “The Trip to Bountiful,’’ portrayed by Cicely Tyson at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. In defiance of her son and daughter-in-law, Carrie slips out of their Houston apartment and embarks on a bus journey back to her beloved hometown.
There’s apparently no stopping Tyson herself, either. The actress, who is reportedly 89, embodies the staying power of a generation of older performers — from 88-year-old Tony Bennett to 89-year-old Angela Lansbury to 83-year-old James Earl Jones — who are thumbing their noses at cultural expectations that they will just totter off to the wings and disappear.
Nor is it merely a matter of contenting themselves with minor walk-on roles. Instead, the past few months have brought numerous examples of septuagenarians and octogenarians who have found ways to stay at center stage in what is usually thought of as a youth-obsessed culture. One of them is the original youth troubadour himself, Bob Dylan, now 73, who performed a concert in Boston recently that was largely focused on songs he’s written since 2000.
In remaining culturally relevant, these older performers are putting well-known faces on an ongoing national conversation about increased life expectancy and the broader possibilities of old age. Science, medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry are doing their darndest to delay the point at which we shuffle off this mortal coil.
The cover of the October issue of “The Atlantic” magazine features a white-bearded fellow letting loose on a skateboard, with an expression that could be read as either gung-ho determination or full-fledged alarm, between headlines that read: “The new science of old age’’ and “What living to 100 will mean for you and for society.’’
By remaining visible and vibrant, older performers offer a powerful counterweight to the age discrimination that remains a dispiriting fact of life in the entertainment industry (and in plenty of other American workplaces, too).
It can be interwoven with gender discrimination: While 84-year-old Clint Eastwood remains busy as an actor and director, Hollywood still can feel like hostile territory for movie actresses over 50 who aren’t named Meryl Streep, and the television industry traditionally hasn’t even bothered to hide its ageism (Betty White notwithstanding). It’s a theme of “The Comeback,’’ the HBO satire starring 51-year-old Lisa Kudrow, who once rode the other end of the demographic wave as one of the young stars of “Friends.’’
But in general, the welcome mat seems to be steadily widening for performers in their 70s and 80s, partly because of their own skills and indomitability, partly because members of their generation want to see themselves reflected. And the one behind them: There’s no doubt the nation’s 77 million baby-boomers are eager for evidence that they, too, might be able to remain vital deep into old age.
Historically, pop culture has given little reason for hopes of a productive life once youth is gone, offering instead a tide of stereotypes and dubious assumptions. The classic 1950 film “Sunset Boulevard” planted an indelible image of the pitiably faded older star, clinging to celluloid memories. Then came rock ’n’ roll, whose ethos was memorably summed up in The Who’s “My Generation’’: “I hope I die before I get old.’’ (Written by Pete Townshend, now 69).
That seems an especially foolhardy sentiment when you look at what the senior citizenry is up to these days on stage and in the recording studio. You’ve heard of the “aristocracy of talent?’’ Meet the gerontocracy of talent.
First, Tyson — who, coincidentally, was just given a “lifetime achievement proclamation’’ by the city of Boston. Having been cast in the lead role of a major Broadway revival of “Bountiful,’’ Horton Foote’s celebrated 1953 drama, Tyson proceeded to win a Tony Award last year as best actress. Then she agreed to perform “Bountiful’’ onstage again this year; it will run at the Cutler Majestic through Dec. 7, under the auspices of ArtsEmerson. (She also found time and energy enough to do a version of “Bountiful’’ for the Lifetime channel.)
Jones is currently starring on Broadway in “You Can’t Take It With You,’’ two years after headlining “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man,’’ where his costars included Lansbury. Next month she will launch a four-city tour of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit,’’ reprising the role of the eccentric medium Madame Arcati, which won her a Tony Award in 2009.
In July, Leslie Uggams, 71, delivered a scorching performance as Mama Rose in “Gypsy’’ at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, portraying a character usually played by actresses decades younger than Uggams. In August, the 81-year-old Chita Rivera demonstrated she is still entirely capable of casting a spell on an audience with her starring performance as a wealthy woman bent on an unusual revenge in “The Visit,’’ a Kander & Ebb musical at Williamstown Theatre Festival.
In late September “Cheek to Cheek,’’ Bennett’s album of duets with Lady Gaga, was released, and it promptly debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Bennett the oldest living performer to achieve a number one ranking for an album. In October came a reminder both of how active older performers can be and of the challenges they face: B.B. King, 89, who had been touring for months, had to cancel the remaining shows of the tour when he was diagnosed with dehydration and exhaustion.
This month, Sony Legacy announced it had signed another musical legend, 82-year-old Loretta Lynn, to a new multi-album deal.
As for next month, who knows? The nonagenarians might decide that it’s their turn and start pushing those septuagenarian and octogenarian whippersnappers out of the way.
Don Aucoin can be reached at aucoin@globe.com.