ANYTOWN STUDY GUIDE EDUCATIONAL TOURING THEATRE ABOUT GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE The mission of George Street Playhouse is to enrich people’s lives by producing world-class theatre. Founded in 1974, George Street Playhouse is one of New Jersey’s preeminent professional theatres committed to the production of new and established plays. With a staff of 50 artists, technicians, and administrators, George Street Playhouse develops innovative theatre that encourages the growth of the theatrical art form while reflecting and addressing the needs of our community. Through our Mainstage Series and Education and Outreach initiatives, the Playhouse reaches an ever-growing cross section of the diverse New Jersey community and contributes to the development of the American theatre repertory. Annually, the Playhouse serves an audience of approximately 140,000. GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE EDUCATIONAL TOURING THEATRE George Street Playhouse commissions and produces dynamic educational touring theatre for young audiences. Our touring productions address themes such as respect, bullying, conflict resolution, and substance abuse prevention. Each show includes a post-play workshop, which provides an excellent starting point for classroom discussion. Major funding for George Street Playhouse’s educational programs is provided by: Bank of America, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Bristol-Myers Squibb, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, and RWJBarnabas. Additional funding is provided by: The Amboy Foundation; Inspirers’ Circle; Anela Kolone Foundation; The George Link, Jr. Charitable Trust; Music Theatre International; PNC Bank Foundation; The Provident Bank Foundaton; The Fred C. Rummel Foundation; Rutgers Community Health Foundation; Wells Fargo Foundation; and many individuals; businesses; and foundations that help George Street Playhouse continue to reach out to the community. This program is made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The commission, development, and production of Anytown is made possible by the generous support from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health are the state-wide sponsors of Anytown and provide need-based funding for this program to schools that are able to demonstrate financial need. ANYTOWN STUDY GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS Resources Pre-Show Questions Production Staff Artistic Statement: Book Writer Jim Jack Opioid Overview What is Heroin? The Disease of Addiction Prevention Risk Factors Stigma Post-Show Discussion Questions Post-Show Activites Artistic Team The information provided in this study guide has been sourced from the National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ANYONE CAN BECOMERESOURCES ADDICTED Resources for Teens https://app.operationprevention.com/ https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/opioid-facts-teens/letter-to-teens Resources for Teachers https://www.operationprevention.com/classroom https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/learning/lesson-plans/investigating-the-heroin-and- prescription-opioid-epidemic-a-lesson-plan.html Resources for Parents https://www.operationprevention.com/sites/operationprevention.com/files/PDFs/Operation_ Prevention_ParentToolkit_Final.pdf http://www.drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/SafetyFirst-8-Tips-for-Talking-Tip-Sheet.pdf https://www.drugabuse.gov/parents-educators Looking for treatment? http://www.drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/SafetyFirst-8-Tips-for-Talking-Tip-Sheet.pdf Use the SAMHSA Treatment Locator or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357). New Jersey Prevention Network www.njpn.org DRUGS DO NOT DISCRIMINATE Pre-show questions for discussion What are the qualities of a hero? Which of these qualities do you possess? What do you feel is your path to success? How competitive do you need to be to realize your dreams? What stresses you about the world today? What do you do to de-stress? What scares you about yourself? How do you control this fear? Think about a close friend: What is special about your relationship with them? What would you do without them? ANYTOWN Book by Jim Jack Music and lyrics by Anna K. Jacobs Directed by Portia Krieger Musical Director and Orchestrations: Matt Castle and Frank Galgano Choreographer: Ani Taj Set Design: Peiyi Wong GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE Costume Design: Nina Vartanian Artistic Director: David Saint Lighting Design and Consultation: Chris Bailey Managing Director: Kelly Ryman Director of Education and Outreach: Jim Jack Assistant Director of Education and Outreach: Christa Cillaroto Manager of Tour and Academy Programs: Diana Gundacker Graphic Designer: Mark Kieran THE CAST Hope: Emma Wagner Robyn and Nat: Eileen Doan Adam: Akoni Steinmann Joey and Doctor: Joe Piserchio The Monster: Eileen Doan, Akoni Steinmann, and Joe Piserchio SYNOPSIS Star athlete Hope Baker sports a 4.0 GPA and limitless potential. But when a boy she likes offers her a pill to reduce the pain from a soccer injury, Hope makes a decision that rapidly transforms her dreams into an escalating nightmare. Based on interviews with families struggling with the disease of addiction, opioid prevention experts, law enforcement officials, and educators, this original musical was developed in response to the devastating impact prescription opioid misuse, heroin, and fentanyl have had on communities throughout New Jersey. ARTIST STATEMENT Jim Jack, book writer What made you want to write Anytown? The first time I was offered a pill was on the night I graduated from sixth grade. It was small and black and handed to me by one of my best friends. I didn’t know what it was, or why I might want it. I’d only ever taken aspirin or vitamins. I said, “Nah,” and I didn’t think it was a big deal until he said, “Thought so.” Then he and the other guys he was with tightened up their circle and left me outside of it. Over half of the friends I grew up with, including myself, struggled with substance abuse disorder in high school. We didn’t call it that. We called it “partying.” It was “fun.” It was everywhere, and we never had a problem getting what we wanted. We didn’t notice how it was changing our brains, or why some of us could stop and others couldn’t. Thirty years later, some are still struggling. One is dead, another is experiencing kidney failure, and a few others are in jail. Many never graduated from high school. Only one of my friends became addicted to prescription opioids and heroin. For the rest of us, it was alcohol, pot, cocaine, or crack. OxyContin© wasn’t available then, and heroin was only used by people who had a “real” problem with drugs. In doing research for this production, I learned that opioids are significantly more addictive than the alcohol and drugs my friends and I did growing up, and the earlier you start using drugs and alcohol, the more likely you are to struggle with the disease of addiction. Most importantly, I learned that if you have family members that struggle with the disease of addiction, you are significantly more at risk to develop opioid abuse disorder. As a father of a teenage daughter and a soon-to-be teenage son, we talk about how they are being offered the same drugs and alcohol that I was at their age. They and their friends are being confronted with the same decisions and consequences for those decisions that I faced. I wanted to write this story to explore how vulnerable we all are to this disease and how swiftly it can destroy lives and devastate communities. Why did you feel this story should be a musical? When I listened to former addicts speak about their experience of using opioids, they often described it as a euphoric rush, as though a river of warmth flowed through their body. Some even described it as if they were kissing the face of God. Yet, what I noticed about people when they were misusing prescription opioids, heroin, or fentanyl was that they often looked disconnected from the world, as if they were nodding off to sleep. I thought there was something theatrical in the contrast of what these individuals were experiencing internally and what was visibly happening to their body. I felt music could powerfully express the internal experience of someone who misuses opioids, as well as authentically reflect the voice of compulsion that encourages someone to continue to use; a voice that could strengthen into an addiction. Music compels us – it provokes us to move, dance, and sing. It takes over our bodies and transforms our spirit. It connects us to others and expresses how we think and feel about them. Opioids are extremely powerful and compelling. I felt their power, allure and insidious nature could best be expressed through music. Although I knew that this story should be a musical, I am not a composer. I have devised several musicals as a writer/director with actors, but always with a composer in the room. So, I knew I needed an extraordinary composer and lyricist to bring this idea to life, and I am so grateful that I got to partner with the wonderful Anna K. Jacobs on this project. How did you and Anna work together on the story? I shared with Anna an outline of the story, and we began to talk about the characters and a musical arc for the show. We shared research, made play lists of music that informed our thinking about the show, and met with members of the RWJBarnabas Institute for Prevention and Recovery who are experts in the field of opioid misuse and prevention. They really helped us understand the scope of the problem and how important it was for us to be honest about the dangers of this disease. They also talked with us about how much harm stigma does to prevent people from getting the help they need.