Our Program
Thursday, June 9, 2022
7:30PM
Brown Girl in the Ring
Showcasing the work and play of a drama therapy group for people who identify as Black Women.
Drama therapy uses the arts to help participants find power in their voices and bodies, develop coping skills, make meaningful connections with each other, and heal. Over the last 6 weeks, Youth Underground alum Jamila Batts Capitman has led a performance-based drama therapy process for Black women living with PTSD. Community members are invited to their culminating performance, to share and celebrate the experiences of these courageous women.
All tickets are free.
Speakers
Talkback With director and performers
Talkback with the “Brown Girl in the Ring” director and performers
Friday, June 10, 2022
7:30PM
YOUTH UNDERGROUND PERFORMS: BROKEN SILENCE & RECOVERY
Recovery is a new play exploring youth mental health. Created over a six-week intensive, and drawn from dozens of interviews with Youth Underground teens and members of their community, Recovery considers questions like “Why do we only address mental health when there’s a crisis?”, “Why do adults often seem dismissive or unprepared for youth mental health challenges?”, and “How has the Pandemic affected youth mental health?”.
Written by YU’s inaugural Playwriting Fellow, Iris Rhian, directed by Vincent Ernest Siders, and performed by the YU Ambassadors.
Opening performance by the YU Delegates: Broken Silence, a selection of original and adapted scenes that explore their questions and perspectives about mental health.
Ticket Prices: Age 25 & Under: Free, Age 26 & Up: $20
Youth Underground Delegates
Youth Underground Ambassadors
Talkback with Playwright IRIs Rhian & YU Delegates & Ambassadors
Saturday, June 11, 2022
12PM
Youth Underground Performs: Broken Silence + Recovery
Recovery is a new play exploring youth mental health. Created over a six-week intensive, and drawn from dozens of interviews with Youth Underground teens and members of their community, Recovery considers questions like “Why do we only address mental health when there’s a crisis?”, “Why do adults often seem dismissive or unprepared for youth mental health challenges?”, and “How has the Pandemic affected youth mental health?”.
Written by YU’s inaugural Playwriting Fellow, Iris Rhian, directed by Vincent Ernest Siders, and performed by the YU Ambassadors.
Opening performance by the YU Delegates: Broken Silence, a selection of original and adapted scenes that explore their questions and perspectives about mental health.
Ticket Prices: Age 25 & Under: Free, Age 26 & Up: $20
Youth Underground Delegates
Youth Underground Ambassadors
Panel: Youth Mental Health Strategies and Q&A
How can teens support positive mental health for themselves and their friends? How can adults best support youth in their families, schools, and communities? This panel will share some strategies for promoting positive mental health and resilience among teens, and answer questions from the audience.
3PM
Interactive Workshop: “It’s Real: Teens and Mental Health”
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP was established in 1987, and is a voluntary health organization providing a nationwide web of support and education about mental health and suicide. In this interactive workshop, join Youth Underground and AFSP educators to better understand youth mental health and learn ways to support your family, friends, and peers.
All tickets are free.
5PM
A Super Happy Story (about Feeling Super Sad)
A fun, silly, and sad show for anyone whose brain isn’t always on their side. Sally’s a happy person. She doesn’t let little things get her down and almost never cries. But she’s got an illness. It makes her feel like she isn’t the person she wants to be….But she doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Come see a staged reading of this musical comedy that mixes storytelling, live music, and sketch comedy. Written by Olivier Award-winner Jon Brittain with original music by Matthew Floyd Jones.
This show contains explicit language and is recommended for ages 12+
All tickets are free.
Community Conversation: Preventing Teen Suicide
Youth Underground partner American Foundation for Suicide Prevention facilitates a conversation about how we can identify and support teens at risk for suicide.
7:30PM
YOUTH UNDERGROUND PERFORMS: BROKEN SILENCE + RECOVERY
Recovery is a new play exploring youth mental health. Created over a six-week intensive, and drawn from dozens of interviews with Youth Underground teens and members of their community, Recovery considers questions like “Why do we only address mental health when there’s a crisis?”, “Why do adults often seem dismissive or unprepared for youth mental health challenges?”, and “How has the Pandemic affected youth mental health?”.
Written by YU’s inaugural Playwriting Fellow, Iris Rhian, directed by Vincent Ernest Siders, and performed by the YU Ambassadors.
Opening performance by the YU Delegates: Broken Silence, a selection of original and adapted scenes that explore their questions and perspectives about mental health.
Ticket Prices: Age 25 & Under: Free, Age 26 & Up: $20
Youth Underground Delegates
Youth Underground Ambassadors
Panel: BIPOC Youth and Mental Health
Join Youth Underground and a panel of community leaders as we discuss the unique mental health challenges faced by communities of color. How can we support youth facing the everyday stresses and acute crises of being black/asian/latiné/indigenous/multiracial in America? Can we counteract generational trauma? What are the added barriers for BIPOC youth and families seeking mental health treatment? How can we destigmatize mental health treatment within communities of color?
Sunday, June 12, 2022
2PM
Interactive Workshop: Finding Resilience and Support
What does it mean to be mentally healthy? How can you support your own mental health, as well as that of your friends and family? Is resilience just a buzzword, or can it be achieved? In this interactive workshop, participants will gather community stories, explore different perspectives, and learn about resources in their own communities. For ages 12-Adult. Led by Central Square Theater Youth Underground Ambassadors and Education staff. Capacity limited. Advance and Walk-Up registration available.
All tickets are free.
3PM
YOUTH UNDERGROUND PERFORMS: BROKEN SILENCE + RECOVERY
Recovery is a new play exploring youth mental health. Created over a six-week intensive, and drawn from dozens of interviews with Youth Underground teens and members of their community, Recovery considers questions like “Why do we only address mental health when there’s a crisis?”, “Why do adults often seem dismissive or unprepared for youth mental health challenges?”, and “How has the Pandemic affected youth mental health?”.
Written by YU’s inaugural Playwriting Fellow, Iris Rhian, directed by Vincent Ernest Siders, and performed by the YU Ambassadors.
Opening performance by the YU Delegates: Broken Silence, a selection of original and adapted scenes that explore their questions and perspectives about mental health.
Ticket Prices: Age 25 & Under: Free, Age 26 & Up: $20
Youth Underground Delegates
Youth Underground Ambassadors
Panel: LBGTQ Mental Health
Join Youth Underground and a panel of community leaders as we discuss the unique mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ teens and young adults. How do sexuality and gender identity affect mental health? How can we support gay and trans youth, who are more than twice as likely as their heterosexual/cis peers to experience a mental health condition? How do discrimination, stigma, family rejection, and denial of civil rights increase barriers for youth seeking mental health treatment?
