The purpose of the World Premier Theater Arts Mentorship Project is to help youth transition to and make healthy choices for life. With intensive supervision meeting at least four times a week for two to three hours, our goal is to first create an environment within a space where young people feel safe and in control of their own destiny. Once a juvenile finds that he or she is protected from the outside dangers that affect their lives daily, the true life-changing values of the program commence. Thus, trust and mutual respect within these walls must be established and maintained between the mentors and the mentees. That is to say, every individual must feel as though who they are, where they come from, and what theyve been through has a consequential importance; they must perceive that one's own sufferings and trials in one's maturation is normal. We make clear that being angry and frustrated is reasonable. Feeling lost, nervous, agitated, apprehensive, uneasy, even anxious, and fearful are normal feelings that we all feel at one time or another.

What we care about is what one does with these feelings. Taking a gun and shooting through school in a violent rampage is not the answer - it's not even remotely close. Free basing heroin, drinking alone, having multiple sex partners, smoking marijuana, failing in school are also wrong answers. So what do we do with our feelings; especially those feeling that lead us to high-risk behavior such as school drop-out, physical and sexual abuse, sexually transmitted deseases, unwanted pregancies and violence?

Crossing socio-economic background, genders and ethnicity students begin to work together discovering that while they are individuals with separate and specific pasts, they are not alone in what they feel. We begin by posing a question because only by doing so can we actually begin to evolve into a dialogue. So we must ask questions that matter and call for critical self-reflection.

In beginning to give voice to young people whom have felt mute all their lives, we have begun the first step in writing a new play. Right away students will already have an idea what role in the project is best fit for them - be it as an actor, director, designer, or writer- and others will figure out what one role is best for them along the way; (while not leaving out the opportunity for multiple roles) all students will partake in the heavy discussions of what the play will be about. What will be the structure of our new play? What will be the theme What message will we choose to communicate to our audience? Questions will lead to more questions. If our play is about drugs or suicide, what do we want to say about these subjects? Is it fun being a drug-addicted prostitute? No? Why? How come? Drugs are good? Really? Why do you think so? Really? Why not? Why do you think that is? Let's ask somebody else. What do you think?

"Because"is not an answer. By not accepting "Because,"or "Because that's the way it is"as answers, gives a chance for a youth to process and think intellectually. When a youth does answer a question with mindful thought that youth is rewarded with recognition and appreciation for reaching and personal risk-taking. There is no "right"or "wrong"answer in this type of dialog as there is no conventional lesson plan. It is an open dialogue based on the unexpected. Remember - we are talking about an environment where one feels safe to take risks; by taking these risks one develops confidence in themselves - the most important tool a youth will take from this project - a skill for life.

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