Acting Troupe Addresses Dangers of Drinking Continued from Page 1 Metamorphosis Productions was founded by Joel Gori 22 years ago. He also directs and writes performances, but says the entire cast participates in every phase of the creative process. “Our main goal is simple,” Gori said. “We hope these plays get people thinking and talking about issues.” The ensemble uses several different performance styles like movement shows, scripted pro ductions, and improvisational vignettes. Once they have completed a scene, the cast stays in character to answer questions frdm the audience. Audience participation is a key element no matter what presenta tion method the group chooses. “I like stirring people up,” said Chahine. “I like knowing that we can and have made a difference.” The Reading-based company has produced and performed role-playing shows such as PSH CAREER SERVICES JOB & INTERN • 120 Employers • Holiday Inn Conference Center Francis Scott Key Mall • Frederick, MD Thursday, Feb. 17th, 2000 • 10am - 3pm JOB & INTERN • 140 Employers • Lebanon Valley Expo Center • Lebanon, PA Wednesday, Feb. 23th, 2000 10am - 3pm “Wasted” for the past 16 years. They have traveled throughout the mid-Atlantic region, but this marked their first visit to PSH. Their brand of education through entertainment has reached a wide range of audi ences from gradeschoolers to leaders of the business world. Gori related one of his most powerful theater experiences, which came following a show about child abuse. After watching their perfor mance, a child whose case had gone to trial found the courage to testify against the abuser. “Kids are so young and impressionable,” Zimmerman added. “The fact that you’ve given them a way to deal with it is rewarding.” Troupe members explore a broad spectrum of topics in their theatrical presentations. At the elementary school level, they discuss issues like school safety, the impact of divorce on chil dren, and child abuse. Corporate audiences often see Your Connection to Career Opportunities! 16TH ANNUAL 13th annual cpec shows about conflict resolution. Other topics for college audi ences include sexual miscommu nication and diversity issues. In fact, the group’s production “Strange Like Me,” which exam ines questions related to diversi ty, identity and perception, was featured at the PSH Student Leadership Workshop on Feb. 5. But alcohol remains the most frequent subject the actors address during college visits. “You can’t be anywhere in society without knowing some one who is involved with drink ing, whether it’s a friend, neigh bor, co-worker, or family mem ber,” said Gori. Shows like “Wasted” highlight the dangers associated with alco hol through life-like scenes rather than statistical information. “Statistics make presentations sound preachy and formal,” Aaglan said. “Sometimes kids may not get the message if you just give them a bunch of numbers. This way grabs their attention and makes it more real to them.” FAIR FAIR Some of the key alcohol-relat ed issues presented during the show were reasons for drinking and its impact on the drinker and those around him or her. The characters in the vignettes most often cited the status asso ciated with drinking, peer pres sure and academic, relationship or work-related stress as reasons for heavy alcohol consumption. Though the actors choose not to enhance their performances with statistics, the numbers show that the desire to drink remains high among the general population of college students nationwide. A June 1999 study conducted by the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) found that 41 percent of college students binge drink. The NCADI defines binge drinking as “the consumption of five or more drinks in a row on at least one occasion.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), which was listed as a partner in this study, cited automobile acci- STATE CIVIL SERVICE RECRUITMENT DAY OLCC, Olmsted Building, W 132 Thursday, Feb. 24th, 2000 Four Different I General Presentation on Civil Service 9:00 Opportunities 11:00. Personnel Analyst Trainee Program Information Technology Associate Program Revenue Field Auditor Trainee and 1:00 3:00 Accountant I Programs dents as one of the leading caus es of death among people under age 20. They said alcohol is fre quently a factor in these fatalities. The CDC also reported that inci dents of date rape and other types of violence are much more likely to occur when people consume large amounts of beer or liquor. In addition, heavy drinkers face increased risk of pregnancy, HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. m Whether people learn about the risks associated with alcohol through facts and statistics or through dramatic presentations such as those performed by Metamorphosis Production Company, the actors believe it is most important to provoke thought and discussion about the issue. “You have a responsibility for pointing them toward a resource,” said Hoffman. “If stu dents see these situations after watching one of our shows and either think about what they would do, or change their behav ior, then we’ve done our job.” rmational Session
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