 |
Business Wire - September 3, 2003
ETP's "Nightmare on Puberty Street," about the changes and challenges of growing up, was performed in Las Vegas at the annual American Academy of Family Physicians conference. The ETP troupe members, young professional actors/health educators, provide performances and workshops that underscore the themes of conflict resolution, violence prevention and healthy choices to students from kindergarten to senior high school.
This season, which coincides with the beginning of the new school year, will bring the group's age-appropriate performances to hundreds of thousands of students in California. A community benefit of Kaiser Permanente, Educational Theatre Programs productions and workshops are offered free of charge to eligible schools and community groups. Schools interested in scheduling a performance/workshop can contact ETP at 323-259-4531 or through the website at http://www.kp.org/etp/.
For Kindergarten through Grade 5, "Zip's Great Day" is an interactive theatrical experience that uses puppetry, music, dance and comedy to help elementary school children deal with the everyday challenges of being a kid.
"P.E.A.C.E. Signs," written for Grades 4 through 6, was developed to help students and adults learn to treat each other with respect, develop empathy for others, and "stop, feel, think, choose, and then act" when faced with violent situations. The school's theatrical performance is followed by a family night performance and a series of classroom workshops that encourage students to become peacemakers when dealing with name-calling, fighting, or domestic violence.
"Nightmare on Puberty Street," the Las Vegas kick-off show, is geared to Grades 6 through 8, and features a series of role-playing activities that demonstrate to adolescents that they are not alone in facing the changes and challenges of puberty. As the characters on stage wrestle with the essential adolescent question: "Am I normal?" they learn to cope with the changes affecting their bodies and minds by confronting the difficult issues of self-esteem, peer pressure, drug/alcohol use, and sexuality.
"Secrets" is written for a teen and adult audience and provides a realistic look into the lives of people impacted by the HIV virus. As enlightening as it is entertaining, "Secrets" uses humor and drama to present the facts about HIV, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. This award-winning drama follows the life of a popular high school athlete named Eddie who learns he has HIV. As the play unfolds, students learn how the choices they make can have a lasting impact on their health and on the health of those they love.
Traveling throughout California in 2002, the programs' eight troupes performed more than 1,800 times at school and community organizations for over 360,000 students and adults from Sacramento to San Diego. This brings the total of ETP audience members in the last 19 years to more than 7 million in California alone.
"As a non-profit organization and member of the community, Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to developing health education programs that will improve the lives of California's children and adults," said Regina Dwerlkotte, director of educational theatre programs for Kaiser Permanente. "Educational Theatre Programs is a big part of that effort. It shows children how they can make positive choices and avoid the negative influences and destructive behavior that could lead to more serious health problems down the line."
Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit, prepaid, group practice health maintenance organization (HMO), founded in 1945. The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region has more than 3.1 million members. It includes 3,600 physicians in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) and 47,300 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and medical group employees. The Region is served by 11 major medical centers.
http://www.kaiserpermanente.org
CONTACT: Kaiser Permanente's California News Bureau
Southern California Region
Socorro Serrano, 626-405-5534
SOURCE: Kaiser Permanente
030903
BW030902
Copyright © 2003 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .