One Act Play to Teach Youth to Stay Clear of Gangs
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 @ 11:39 AM
Members of Street Spirits present play about gang recruitment – photo 250NEWS
Prince George, B.C.- About 200 Prince George elementary school students are learning all about the tricks gangs use to recruit new members.
The Step In Step Up program is holding a one day education program today at the Prince George Civic Centre aimed at giving young people the skills to recognize and steer clear of gang involvement.
One of the events has the theatre group “Street Spirits” present one act plays which depict gang recruitment and the consequences of getting involved in gang activity.
Two of the actors, 19 year old Gwen Hall and 24 year old Kaiser Glaab, both residents of Prince George, say they have some personal experience with gang recruitment. For Hall, it was a link to a relative, and for Glaab it was a request from someone he knew to be a gang member who invited him to a party where “There was a bottle of Jack Daniels with my name on it. I knew who he was, who he was with, and I told him to get lost.”
Both admit they were “recruited” to the theatre group, for Hall, it was at the invitation of a friend, and Glaab got involved because of his former girlfriend. Both say they love the idea that their plays present problems and call on the audience to “fix it”. Inspiration is drawn from the world in which they live, and Glaab says he sticks with the troupe because it is effecting change “One Act at a time.”
Comments
I had the opportunity to watch a play from the Street Spirits group. The young actors were amazing not only in acting but getting the message across to the younger crowd.They encourage the audience to become involved in problem solving as the play presents different situations. Great story!
How about taking these youths to the morgue and show them a dead gangster. Trauma and drama all rolled into one. Might even give these kids a new perspective on their own mortality if they mess with the wrong people.
My daughter is in the Street Spirits group as a youth actor. It is mind opening and very interactive, and it does help youth as it gives them a chance to put themselves in the situation of saying “No,” and coming up with real life scenarios and solutions. I’m proud of her, all the youth and older actors involved, as well as Andrew Burton, their leader.
Comments for this article are closed.