GET INVOLVED WITH METH PLAY

Have you ever gone to a play and wondered what would have happened if
one of the actors had done something different at a crucial point?

You can find out at METH - The Play, which will be presented at
Nechako Valley Secondary on Feb. 6. Lisa Streigler of Vanderhoof
Alcohol and Drugs Services, which is bringing the performance here,
says it's a chance for the audience to get involved.

"You will see the play once, with no conclusion. Then they present it
again, but this time they get the audience involved."

If, at a certain point, a member of the audience has an idea about
what a character could have done differently, they put their hand up
and present their idea.

"Then the actors start up again, improvising with the change."

After they play through the new idea, the cast returns to where they
left off and continues until the next audience intervention.

The play, as the title suggest, is about the effects of crystal meth,
and Striegler says the cast knows they're talking about.

"The play was developed by people who have struggled with meth
themselves or been affected by it in other ways."

She says the idea for the audience portion is not to come up with a
magic solution to the problem.

"It's not about getting the right idea; it's about having any ideas.
It opens people's eyes to the problem and what can be done about it by
any of us."

David Diamond of the Headlines Theatre in Vancouver is the director
and "joker" for METH. Striegler explains the joker is a go-between.

"He's a wild card. He's not part of the play, he's watching it and
asking questions. He facilitates the audience participation, and he
debriefs the audience after each intervention."

Sometimes, Striegler says, plays like this goes off on completely new
tangents.

"There have been cases where an audience member has made a suggestion
that involves new characters. The cast asks for people from the
audience to fill those roles, and they work it out."

Striegler says about 220 people attended a crystal meth forum last
spring in Vanderhoof, and she would like to see at least that many for
the play.

"It's an opportunity to explore the roots of addiction. It can
contribute to the healing of those involved with meth."

Admission is by donation, and the show starts at 8 p.m. on Feb. 6.
Striegler cautions that the play is a realistic portrayal of drug
users, and contains strong language.