Theater Therapy Offers Education About Substance Abuse | Local News

HAVERHILL – Haverhill High School is taking substance abuse prevention to the next level by combining therapy and theater.

In honor of Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, the city partnered with Drug Story Theater and hosted a live performance to educate Haverhill High School students about substance abuse. The event will be held at Haverhill High School, 137 Monument St., on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Drug Story Theater is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization that uses evidence-based treatments to prevent drug use among children and adolescents. From 2014, founder Dr. Joseph Shrand gives a group of teenagers in the early stages of recovery from substance abuse a chance: a new form of treatment that combines psychological therapy with performative art.

The theater performances allowed the teens to share their stories about drug and alcohol use and express the impact of substance abuse on their personal lives. Through improvisational theater, Dr. Shrand teaches the actors the science behind addiction.

Playwrights created scripts from the teenagers' stories of temptation, addiction and recovery. The directors also taught her improvisation and acting skills.

Dr. Shrand also included his actors' parents, bringing family therapy to the stage.

In 2018, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts partnered with Drug Story Theater and invested $250,000 in the program. This influenced the group's expansion and gained access to more school districts across the state.

Today Drug Story Theater performed in front of more than 40,000 people.

The Haverhill High School event will feature a performance called “Back to Life,” a play based on true events in which teenagers use Narcan to reverse their friend's overdose. The engaging and informative exhibit educates children, parents and community members about the risks of drug use. This piece focuses specifically on the deadly effects of fentanyl and xylazine, exposing the underestimated dangers of experimenting with pills and destigmatizing Narcan.

After the play, Dr. Shrand and the cast will host a question and answer session where viewers can find out more. This portion of the event provides insight into health crises affecting many communities across Massachusetts.

Last year, Haverhill documented 213 opioid-related incidents, representing a gradual decline since 2021. Although the number has decreased, Haverhill is still seeing more incidents compared to several other cities in the region, according to the health department.

Haverhill High Director of School Counseling Megan Arivella said a program focused on reducing opioid use will have a big impact on the community because it can benefit a broader range of ages. The free event is open to all community members.

“This would be something that everyone could get something from,” Arivella said. “There is simply a lack of education and awareness of the issue.”

Arivella works with Haverhill's HOPE (Haverhill Overdose Prevention and Education) Task Force, founded by Mayor Melinda Barrett. The task force is comprised of community members whose goal is to educate the public about the risks of substance abuse. HOPE partnered with Drug Story Theater after contacting the organization's Chief Operating Officer, Kathleen Wright.

Haverhill High School is planning a second collaboration with Drug Story Theater for the freshman class on November 15th. The upcoming event will feature a different performance that does not focus on opioid use.

Arivella said last year's survey data suggests that students in grades 7 through 12 at Haverhill High feel a high level of peer approval for marijuana and alcohol use.

“These children need to grow up knowing they are supported and focused on improving their well-being,” Arivella said. “There are many resources available to parents and students in Haverhill who may be underrepresented.”