THE INNER CIRCLE - HIV Education for teenagers
In 1985, the New Conservatory was one of the first theatre companies in the world to use performance to educate teenagers about the myths and dangers of HIV infection. By the time I took over this program in 1997 the play The Inner Circle by Patricia Loughrey, which tells the story of what happens to a group of four friends when one of them contracts HIV, needed up-dating in order to keep up with the changing nature of the epidemic. We toured the new version of this production annually to schools, juvenile facilities and community centers throughout Northern California, and used it to facilitate discussions and link to local resources. This script has been translated into several languages (including Swahili) and by the time I left the company in 2001, was estimated to have been seen by over 4 million young people world-wide.
GET REAL! - HIV Education for 5-11 year olds.
For five years (1996-2001), I cast, booked, facilitated and sometimes directed a series of three age-appropriate HIV-education shows by Doug Holsclaw. The New Conservatory Theatre Center was contracted by San Francisco Unified School District to perform all three shows to all 75 public elementary schools each year. All performances were followed by a discussion led by an HIV+ educator who answered questions and encouraged safe behavior choices.
BUZZ - drug awareness for Middle School-aged students
I facilitated the US premiere of a new drug awareness play from British playwright Andrew Alty. Unlike the previous New Conservatory productions, it featured interactive elements and discussion within the play, which chronicled the highs and lows of a girl who found that her new best friend Buzz is addictive. The interactive format also enabled honest discussions about the temptations and availability of drugs in the city.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLOSET - anti-homophobia/safe schools
In 2000, we toured the first American production of The Other Side of the Closet which spoke openly about the fears and dangers of harassment based on real or perceived sexual orientation. I coordinated the tour, wrote the study guide and facilitated some hair raising community discussions.
WRITE ON! - a script development competition for teenage playwrights
In 2002, playwright David Grimm and I initiated the first opportunity for Connecticut teenagers to develop their plays with Hartford Stage, who then staged readings of the works with professional actors as part of an annual celebration of new American writing. Our first year, the theme was "Over My Dead Body" . The second year, I collaborated with Edwin Sanchez in mentoring eight teenagers who wrote short plays in English and
Spanish on the theme of "Culture Clash". This initiative continues at Hartford Stage today.
Spanish on the theme of "Culture Clash". This initiative continues at Hartford Stage today.
MY HARTFORD - the teen performance ensemble oral history project
In the summer of 2003, I was awarded a generous grant from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development which enabled us to pay sixteen teenagers from different neighborhoods in Hartford to work as an ensemble on a devised piece of theatre about their city. Led by director Jonathan Wilson, we spread across the city collecting oral histories in bars, in churches, on street corners and even in the mayor's office. The ensemble and I pulled these stories into script form, and Jonathan Wilson then directed them in a dynamic and empowering performance of and for the community.