Birmingham Group Health Services’ Valley Substance Abuse Action Council is looking for youth in grades 9 -12 to join a new Drama / Improv Performance Group. 

 This new initiative utilizes peer to peer dramatizations performed by students in a theater setting. These dramatizations will be created and performed by students to be used as an educational tool depicting the consequences of various risky behaviors.  This form of experiential activity can raise awareness among youth and motivate them to talk about the issues with their peers. By empowering local youth to speak to youth through drama programs and interactive dialogue, this program will provide students with a “straight from the heart” look at real life situations they experience. In the fall and spring, students will perform at numerous venues for their peers and community members.

About The Visiting Improv Company...
The Improv Company, run by Mr. Barry Halpin, is a very talented adolescent theater company that combines drama, comedy, music, peer education  and role modeling in a unique way that both engages and challenges the audience. They perform dramatic sketches on substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, violence and bullying, parent-child communication and diversity, comedy sketches on  a variety  of topics and improvisational games based on audience suggestion as well as the one act play “OUT OF CONTROL”. 

The Company uses theater as a medium to entertain and educate, to touch people and make them laugh but most importantly they want to help teens deal with their emotions and the issues in their lives - ones the actors and audience are going through together. Explains Mr. Halpin, "It’s teens helping teens, using theater as a vehicle to hold up a mirror so they can see themselves and all their potential. It’s also actors and audience laughing together at what life is like." Many performances give the audience the opportunity to dialogue with the actors as they stay in character. The company also offers the audience the experience of coming up on stage with the actors to participate in various sketches.

The Company also runs workshops for students at schools throughout the area, providing them with an opportunity to learn improvisational skills such as problem solving, becoming more spontaneous, trusting their instincts and working together to create successful scenes and in the process increase their self confidence.

For more information, contact VSAAC at (203) 736-8566 today!

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