Workshops weave curriculum strands of health and theater, using true-to-life stories to learn about substance abuse patterns and prevention. The actors are teaching artists who follow a curriculum that respects the culture of the school or organization.
The Players work closely with you to plan comprehensive and sequential lessons that provide students and teachers with in-depth learning. The goal is to plan a project that will have a lasting effect on the students and their peers.
apply for funding for a residency Massachusetts Cultural Council supports "STARS Residency" school grants. Schools apply to be a Creative Teaching School. and can receive $500-$5,000 to pay for Improbable Players to come to your school to work with your students. Players is a Creative Teaching Partner. we will work with you.. to write this grant or any other. Email the Players for a copy of our grant template.
Adam writesabout how the work affected the students at BAHEC (Boston Area Health Education Center):
"Before the work, students were only looking at the problems as a sad fact of life.
Putting the problems into a dramatic context made them have a beginning. middle, and a possible end. They explored multiple points of view. They discovered layers of nuance of the health problems.
It showed me they were thinking about health topics in terms of a community problem instead of a personal problem."
Chris and Bo, teaching artists
classroom teachers said
"The health aspect of this workshop was extremely valuable--it can stop kids from using drugs and alcohol."
"The students loved taking the parts and solving the problems."
what's it like to try on another persona?
Here, a Northshore Recovery High School drama student tries out a new character during a recent mask workshop.
middle school drama workshop students said
"The characters that had the most impact on me were the drunk ones, because I could see them throw their lives away by the bottle."
"I liked the person refusing the drugs, 'cause that's what I am: a drug refuser."
"My ideas changed. Yes, because I didn't know how hard it was to quit drugs until the Players came."
Here is my monologue based on a dad character I created in class: "I used to get drunk all the time. I went to parties and clubs. But one of my sons said,'Daddy, why do you hate me?' That took a toll on me. So I went to rehab. Now I'm 30 days without alcohol."
