METH - PERFORMANCE AT KEY CITY THEATRE WANTS TO RAISE
AWARENESS

METH - with increased awareness over the last few months meth has
become a buzz word, stirring up emotions and triggering debate. This
is just what Bonnie Eugene hopes to achieve with an event that bears
the word as its title. She is the Aqam (St. Mary Band) Community
Governance Facilitator and she is working with ANKORS and other
community groups in Cranbrook to present the workshop.

"We really want to talk about addictions and where they come from,"
Eugene explains the goal of the event. It is centered around an
interactive performance by Headlines Theatre about addiction. The
group shows their play once and then repeats it, however, they are
giving the audience the opportunity to do an intervention at any
point. Anybody can change the outcomes of the performer's actions or
even put themselves in the character's spots to change the situation,
Eugene explains. Gary Dalton, Education Coordinator with ANKORS says:
"This gives the community an opportunity to add their story."

There will be several counsellors and mentors at the event as well.
They will be introduced at the beginning of the workshop and they
will also stay after the play is over to make sure people have a
chance to get in touch with them, Eugene points out. To her, the
aftercare of participants is extremely important, and she believes it
is not healthy for people to open up and be vulnerable and then be
dropped and forgotten about at the end of the show. This is why
Eugene is planning to have a follow-up event in February where people
can continue their discussions.

The workshop is open to anybody and Dalton says the focus will be on
getting the community to team up and deal with the issues around
addiction. Eugene hopes the event will show people how to be
healthier and to give those already affected "the tools to help dig
ourselves out of the ugliness of addiction."

METH will be held at the Key City Theatre on Wednesday, January 24,
at 7:00 pm. Organizers suggest participants donate $5 as their
admission, but Eugene stresses the money should not be an obstacle:
"If the cost is an issue, if transportation is an issue, don't let it
be an issue." She says people who are interested in joining can be
picked up or met somewhere. Bonnie Eugene can be contacted at
426-5717, ext. 235.