Street Spirits cast members Kayla Cardinal, Destry Balcaen, Stephanie Carr, Jay Sanders, Michelle Frechette and Shayla Crossan rehearse The Pressures Beyond. (Citizen photo by Brent Braaten)

Alcohol is an addiction that doesn't get nearly as much attention as say, a crystal meth addiction, said Samantha Stewart, a second-year social work student at the College of New Caledonia. But teen drinking and the issues that surround it need to be brought to the forefront.

Stewart's class was assigned to do a project during National Addictions Awareness Week so her group, which includes Tesia Carr, a member of Streets Spirits Theatre Company, decided to invite Street Spirits to help bring awareness to teen drinking. That's why Carr is producing and directing the show called The Pressures Beyond.

"A lot of people don't know what's going on in our community and I think we need to advocate for these people," Stewart said. "With this project we're trying to target young teens by addressing the issue before it gets to be a problem. I think alcohol is a gateway, too -- it can lead to other things."

The show, which will be presented Friday at CNC in Room 1-306 at 6 p.m., is geared for teenagers and their parents, although everyone is welcome. The performance sets up a situation and then invites the audience to come up and try to resolve issues and find solutions in a hands-on method unique to Social Action Theatre.

"The strength of this kind of theatre goes beyond raising awareness, it not only recognizes the problems associated with addiction, but allows the audience to explore solutions," said Andrew Burton, artistic director of Street Spirits Theatre Company. "You can go watch a show about addiction and you can walk away saying, 'Oh my, isn't that terrible,' but with interactive theatre you can make a positive difference, offer a solution, and try it out on stage."

People may not realize how big a problem addiction is in our society, he added.

"But we need to focus on the addiction not the substance used," said Burton.

The reason behind the addiction needs to be addressed and how that addiction affects people around the addict. Health concerns and how an addiction affects relationships people have with someone who has an addiction needs to be explored, Burton said.

Admission is by donation.

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