For two days next month the McClain High School Auditorium will play host to a dramatic production geared toward teenagers and the issues they face daily.
The production, “Dead Serious…About Life,” will be held on Saturday, April 9 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $6 in advance or $7 at the door and can be ordered by calling 513-459-7268 or online at www.mish-inc.com. According to the New Directions Facebook page, the recommended ages for students viewing the play grades 6-12.
New Directions Director Mike Anderson said “Dead Serious…About Life” is performed by high school students from the tri-state area and covers a lot of “hot button issues” that teenagers face on a regular basis. “It’s a really well done and challenging program that sparks some good conversations,” he said.
The show is geared toward middle and high schoolers, and issues such as alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, suicide, as well as other topics that are “addressed pretty powerfully in the show,” Anderson said. “It addresses those issues head on.”
According to the “Dead Serious” website, the production is “a musical written to appeal to teenagers. It is upfront…it is blunt…it is life.”
Mishpachah, Inc., a nonprofit organization, puts on the production. According to the website, “Mishpachah” is a Hebrew word meaning family or clan. For more information about the organization or the production, go to www.mish-inc.com.
While Mishpachah, Inc. has toured in several states, this will be the group’s first time to Greenfield, Anderson said.
“We are excited,” he said, urging the community to attend. He said he believes the production “could make a positive difference … in the community.”
Also coming up for New Directions on April 23 is a silent auction fundraiser. It will be held at the Christian Union Campgrounds in Greenfield at 6:30 p.m. with proceeds benefiting the youth organization.
The regular programs at New Directions include Kid Connection for grades 3-5 held each Thursday from 6-8 p.m. The middle school program, Wildside, meets each Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. For high schoolers, the youth ministry offers SALT (Student Action Leadership Team), which meets each Wednesday at McClain during lunch. The high schoolers also take part in a monthly activity.
As the organization is community supported, donations are always welcome and can be mailed to New Directions, P.O. Box 26, Greenfield, Ohio 45123. All donations are tax deductible, Anderson said, and donors will receive a year-end statement for tax purposes.
For more information about New Directions and the youth ministry programs, go to the ministry’s Facebook page or contact Anderson at 937-876-9868.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
