USING LIVE THEATER COMBINED WITH ROLE-PLAYING AND DISCUSSION TO EXAMINE WHAT AT-RISK ADOLESCENTS THINK ABOUT SUBSTANCE-ABUSE, ITS CONSEQUENCES, AND PREVENTION

Live theater is used as a means of stimulating thought and discussion among adolescents on topics related to the effects of substance abuse in their lives. A thirty-minute professional and contemporary live mus ical play, Captain Clean, was performed at three Chicago high schools (grades 9-12). In general, students in these schools had been judged t o be at risk for drug problems by school administrators and by the Ill inois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Students' responses to i ssues highlighted in the play were examined through ethnographic proce dures used during role playing and discussion immediately following th e performance. In addition, written comments were collected from the s tudents two weeks after viewing. The amount of interaction and level o f student response indicate that live theater is an effective means fo r stimulating both thought and discussion pertaining to the effects of drugs in the lives of adolescents. In addition, analysis of the stude nts' responses reveals: (1) an unmet need for individual counseling; ( 2) a pervasive ignorance of the legal consequences of drug use; (3) th e importance of family as a source of information and support; and (4) an expressed concern for their own futures as well as those of their peers.