The everyday theater experience: Peer educational theater as a tool for substance abuse prevention

Everyday Theater Youth Ensemble (ETYE) is a social issue theater training program for inner city youth. ETYE was recently awarded a five year demonstration grant by the Office for Substance Abuse Prevention. If successful in its efforts toward prevention and early intervention of substance abuse, OSAP will use it as a national model and replicate it. This thesis examines the use of theater as a platform for social issues and/or social change. The development of the Youth Ensemble and the history of the thirteen year old parent organization is researched and documented. Finally, the project design for the substance abuse prevention demonstration grant is examined as a potential national model. Particular attention is given to the On-Job-Training program and its three major assumptions: employment, ability to deal with negative cultural messages, and an understanding of one's cultural heritage reduce the risk for substance abuse.