CRYSTAL METH REDEMPTION OFFERED BY LIGHT OF GRACE

Crystal meth will take you to hell and few live to tell about the trip.

One survivor is Grace (Veronica Smith) whose experience with the
toxic drug was told with heartfelt honesty and home spun frankness in
last week's Light of Grace presentation in the Cowichan Theatre.

Jonathan Couchman and his young cast presented their community
project after three months rehearsal and probing why teens do meth
and other drugs.

If Light of Grace -- a product of a $20,000 grant from the Union of
B.C. Municipalities -- saves just one young life, it's money well spent.

Grace seems the perfect victim for insidious meth.

Under her dad Couchman's demanding thumb, Grace mourns the death of
her mom, dancer Taryn Rentschler, while dealing with stressful
bullying at school.

Enter friend Steph (Kristy Fielding) who uses meth to make her
problems disappear.

One toke hooks many teens but almost kills Grace. She survives her
overdose through a loving father, and help from Native elders such as
Joey Charlie and his blanket-wrapping prayer ceremony.

More teachings from Charlie would have been welcome in this
fast-paced, multi-media production that segues well from scene to scene.

Use of video for various scenes lent fresh dimensions to the show
that lacked vocal volume and singing ability at times.

Still, Couchman and crew succeeded in molding raw talent into a frank
message about a deadly drug and the forces that push teens into using it.

Light of Grace could be dedicated to all of Grace's friends who
weren't as lucky as she is.

Multi-media drug play: 7.5 warnings out of 10.