SPOTLIGHT YOUTH THEATRE

Description

Spotlight Youth Theatre has developed a niche in the Arizona youth theatre community of producing often controversial productions that deal with difficult topics. While more typical, family-friendly shows (fairytales, light musicals, comedies, etc ) are appreciated and produced, Spotlight is steadfast in believing the theatre is at its best when it goes beyond entertainment and enters the realm of social enlightenment. As a result, Spotlight has a long history of producing shows that portray real-life issues teen’s face today, including bullying, homophobia, eating disorders, domestic abuse, drug use, rape, and terminal illness. A prime example of this is our production of a show called "Dog Sees God", a difficult work that re-imagines characters of the Peanuts comic strip as troubled teenagers, searching for their place in the world. Because a critical issue depicted in the play is teen suicide, Spotlight partnered with Teen LifeLine. Teen LifeLine volunteers were available to speak with audience members during show intermissions, and also during a Q&A "talkback" session after each performance. The impact of this partnership was exceptional for all involved - performers, audience members, and staff at Spotlight . Equally important was the outreach value gained by Teen LifeLine; the message of suicide prevention reached, quite literally, a greatly expanded audience as a result of Teen LifeLine’s collaboration with Spotlight Youth Theatre.