NO ACTING IN THIS PLAY

There are no actors, but real people living past the perils of drug
addiction are telling about it through an interactive play called
Shattering put on for students and the entire community at H.D.
Stafford Middle School on the evening of Oct. 9.

Headlines Theatre's play Shattering begins with the premise that
addicts come from somewhere: our communities. It is also within these
communities that solutions dwell, says director David Diamond, of
this critically-acclaimed play that lets the audience take part in
the solution.

The audience is invited to stop the action of the play, replace
characters onstage, and provide an opportunity to initiate community
dialogue in search of grassroot solutions to drug addiction.

The play asks difficult questions that dig beneath the symptoms to
get at the root causes of addictions, but also provides a safe place
to explore approaches to complex situations.

There is often a lot of laughter mixed "in with silences and
sometimes tears," say the play's organizers.

"Unlike a normal play that builds to a crisis and has a solution,
this play has no answers, only questions," says Diamond.

The cast includes Kayla Cardinal, a 19-year-old from Prince George
who has been clean from using crystal meth since 2005. Also in the
cast is Jordan Fields, who spent many years in the underground rave
scene and then on the streets, living a life of crime, as well as
spending time in jail. He has been clean for three years.

The cast also includes a grandmother who has addicted loved ones and
a Cree youth from Manitoba who has seen the effects of drug addiction.

"When did addiction turn into a youth issue? It is a family issue and
that's why the cast ranges in age from 17 to 63," said Diamond.

In late 2006, this production, then called Meth, played in Vancouver
for a week then toured 26 communities across B.C. to tremendous
critical and audience acclaim. After receiving numerous requests to
bring the play to additional communities, Headlines is now taking the
production, along with the original cast, back on the road for 31 shows.

"The subject matter is heavy but the play is really good theatre that
is entertaining and enlightening," Diamond said.

This play is sponsored by the Langley-based Fraser Region Community
Justice Initiatives Association (CJI).

Admission is free (donations accepted). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and
the play starts at 7 p.m.