* Schools use STARS grants to bring in Improbable Players * Workshops at Boston Area Health Education Center * Players at American Alliance of Theater & Education * Reading Coalition Against Substance Abuse hosts Players * Players at NYU Forum on Theater for Public Health *Grant money is available for Players' theater workshops * Measuring the success of arts-based prevention * Players invited to lead theater workshops at Recovery Schools Conference * Players' Chris E. reflects on National Recovery Rally * Players tapped for NADT Conference in New York * MADD Connecticut welcomes Players at Power Camp * Director Lynn Bratley presents at Teaching Artist Institute * Players wins Suffolk County Asset Forfeiture Reinvestment Grant * On the road with Improbable Players/New York * Chicago prevention efforts reach students * Melrosecouple turns tragedy into lesson for young people * Hope and Inspiration Performing Arts Festival in Boston * Players at NIATx Summit in San Antonio * Georgia community opens its arms to the Improbable Players
Apply for funding for 2011-2012 under their STARS Residencies (Students and Teachers Working with Artists, Scientists, and Scholars). Schools may apply for grants of $500 to $5,000 to support creative learning residencies of three or more days in arts, sciences and humanities.
Bring the Players to your school: our teaching artists will work with you and your students to bring exciting arts-in-prevention sessions that interweave curriculum strands of health, drama and acting.
We are listed on Matchbook.org and are NESTapproved (New England States Touring): non-profits outside of MA can apply for grant funding to cover 50% of the cost of a program.
boston area health education center
Actors Kari and Adam in rehearsal.
July/August 2011
Improbable Players Kari and Adam facilitated a six week theater workshop for high school students interested in exploring health careers through Boston Area Public Health Commission's BAHEC. Students learned how applied theater can be used to raise awareness about public health issues.
american alliance for theatre & education
July 2011 Lynn traveled to Chicago to participate in the AATE National Conference and lead a workshop with fellow theater artists on how the Players create scenes and stories about substance abuse prevention. The topic they chose: "I hate it when young people believe what their addicted parents tell them". The scenes they improvised were powerful.
Improbable Players is an active member of the American Alliance of Theater & Education as a professional company specializing in applied theater.
Lynn with workshop session actors.
community coalition brings in the players
April 2011 "The stage of the Performing Arts Center was filled yesterday with powerful voices as Improbable Players performed two plays for students on the topic of substance abuse...." Read the rest of the story.
nyu forum on theater for public health
April 2011 Director Lynn Bratley, presented an interactive theater workshop at the NYU SteinhardtForum on Theater for Public Health:"Using educational drama in addictions prevention"
How cool am I?
grant funding available
Fall 2011: Improbable Players are offering free theater workshops for schools or community organizations to work collaboratively with the Players' actor/teachers to help develop new scenes and stories about opiod addiction/recovery. Contact the Players to find out more.
measuring the success of arts-based prevention
Improbable Players was awarded a federal Service to Science technical assistance grant in 2010, to work with a research team to determine the best way to document the effectiveness of the plays and workshops. The Players uses qualitative research through questionnaires and feedback forms from students and teachers after the performances.
"I liked hearing about your lives and how you changed. The play showed me I don't need drugs or alcohol in my life."
recovery schools conference summer 2010
A broken heart was my excuse for drinking in the past
"I really hate it when ... drugs and alcohol snake into people's lives and take over completely --- and that the media sends mixed messages glorifying use and abuse, but demeaning people with addiction problems!"
These themes were chosen by participants at the National Recovery Schools Conference on July 22nd in a drama workshop facilitated by Lynn Bratley.
In one scene a young person mindlessly watches tv news about a famous addict and then goes out to a club to be like the troubled star. She has no idea of the possible consequences, but what we see in the audience, is another participant/actor as the drug, lurking behind her, waiting to attack.
The theme inspired other poignant scenes and a lively discussion of how to reach out to youth so influenced by tv and internet.
I was addicted to watching all the junk on tv
reflecting on national recovery rally
SEPTEMBER 2009: Improbable Players' own Chris E. was chosen by The Recovery Project as the Mass.delegate for the Recovery Rally in New York City. And today she is still an active spokesperson for the event.
“It was an amazing experience. I’m psyched that I got sober during Recovery Month," says Chris. "Last year I celebrated 11 years the day before that event. Being an actor with Improbable Players has been a wonderful and major influence in my life as a sober woman--for the past 9 seasons as a Player, I have been able to stand in front of thousands of students from elementary to college level and say, “If I can do it, you can do it--recovery is possible!”
players at NADT
NOVEMBER 2009: The Players presented at the NADT National Association of Drama Therapy Conference in White Plains, NY: "Setting the Stage for Prevention" brought aperformance and demonstration workshop to participants. Improbable Players' curriculum uses sociodrama to solve community issues around substance abuse prevention.
players at MADD connecticut
Chris, student Trish Morrison behind the mask and camp leader Robin
JULY 2009: High school and middle school peer leaders from all over Connecticut converged at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) 19th annual Youth Leadership Power Camp at Southern Connecticut State University to create projects that will spread awareness and education about drunk driving and underage drinking. Improbable Players closed the conference - "on a high and powerful note", according to Camp Director Lauren Iannucci.
teaching artist institute
JANUARY 2009: Players' Director Lynn Bratley was invited to present techniques Improbable Players use to evaluate student work at the Institute for Teaching Artists, "Cultivating the Field" at Lesley University. The focus of the institutes was lesson planning, curriculum mapping, and evaluation. Sponsors were Massachusetts Cultural Council and VSA Massachusetts, among others.
Improbable Players evaluate students' understanding of prevention through scenes, monologues, and creative writing.
illustrating Players' evaluation
asset forfeiture grant
Lynn Bratley and D.A. Dan Conley
"This is truly an opportunity to do good things with bad money." - DA Conley
MARCH 2008: Clark Avenue Middle School, Chelsea, MA:District Attorney Daniel F. Conley presents Improbable Players' Director, Lynn Bratley with a grant from the Suffolk County Asset Forfeiture Reinvestment Program. Cash and assets seized from drug dealers was awarded to organizations that work to help young people. The Players performed for 8th graders and their teachers at Clark Avenue and held a long Q&A with the students after the show. This grant also sponsored a program for Seacoast Academy in Revere.
on the road with the new york troupe
Improbable Players' New York troupe is on the road: meet Steven, Mary, Maiken, and Matt.
These talented actor/educators are bringing their long-term recovery, lengthy acting experience, and extensive work with young people to the Players: they are touring the improbable repertoire of plays and drama workshops to schools and conferences in the tri-state area and beyond. The troupe has openings for understudies and seeks to identify a diverse cast. See Jobs for more info.
"Your troupe has been to our town many times before. It's always great to hear what the kids have to say after your programs: you really get them to open up." Anonymous faculty member, high school in New Jersey
chicago prevention efforts reach students
Peggy Alexander, Players Chris and Brian, and Proviso East Peer Leaders
SEPTEMBER 2008: Improbable Players were invited to Chicago to be a part of a community-wide prevention effort. Thanks to the diligent community networking of Peggy Alexander, of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the events were successful in promoting awareness about problems and solutions during Recovery Week in the community of Maywood.
"It all worked out really, really well", Peggy reported after two performances and a drama workshop at Proviso East High School. "The seniors were spellbound - they listened to every word. We had students in the audience who are in active recovery, and I know they benefited from hearing the Players’ stories. We had one young man come up and let us know that he needed help, that he was in over his head. That’s what happens when the conversation is out in the open."
melrose couple turns tragedy into lesson
Pat and Greg Redd show Shawn's picture to Melrose Middle School students
"Hi, my name is Gregory Redd and this is my wife, Pat. We have a son Shawn who could not be here with us today because he died two and a half years ago from drug and alcohol abuse. He was generous, kind and funny. He was an average kid, just like you. I know that if Shawn knew where the drugs and alcohol were taking him, he would be here today."Read the rest >
Though Greg Redd has since passed away, Pat Redd has courageously turned the family's real-life tragedy into a gift to young students in Melrose, where their son grew up and attended school. She continues to sponsor an Improbable Players' performance for the school's Drug & Alcohol Summit. The play leaves a lasting impression - and she hopes will save someone's life.
hope and inspiration festival
APRIL 2007: Improbable Players were proud to be the 1st performance of the 1st HOPE AND INSPIRATION Performing Arts Festival, "Celebrating Courage, Strength, and Personal Triumph in the face of homelesness, addiction, mental illness, incarceration". The festival was sponsored by St. Francis House and Roxbury Community College. Pictured at left: Chris, Natali, and Owen.
NIATx national summit
April 24, 2007: Improbable Players helped to "ground" the NIATx Summit (www.niatx.net) in San Antonio by presenting their play about a family affected by alcohol and other drugs. The Players put a face on recovery for over 400 attendees, who belong to the Network for the Advancement of Addiction Treatment. NIATx works with treatment organzations across the country to improve access to treatment for the millions of Americans seeking help with substance abuse, and help to remove the stigma attached to seeking help.
georgia community opens its arms
MARCH 2007l Two days of packed scheduling in Albany, Georgia made it possible for the Players to bring performances and workshops to Darton College, Jefferson Street Boys & Girls Club, Radium Springs Middle School, the Albany Arts Council, and the Graceway Recovery Residences.
Roseanne Almaee, the Players' hostess in Albany and mother of Players' former Program Manager was instrumental in involving many community members in this arts-in-prevention effort which got people thinking and talking. She was in the audience when Improbable Player actor Chris asked the middle school students after the show, "How many of you are affected by someone else's drinking or drug use?" When 95% of the students raised their hands, the teachers standing around the room gasped. Both actors, Chris and Brian, urged students to talk with someone about their concerns. Teachers lated reported that the post-show discussion went on well into the afternoon.
The performances and workshops helped to raise the consiousness of Albany community leaders, who plan to put more resources in place for students like these, who may need support. The two-day event was sponsored in part by the Darton Foundation and a generous individual donor.
