The Acting Out teen theatre troupe project in Sioux City, IA, (Woodbury County) is a peer education troupe using theatre to address issues critical to teens. The troupe consists of six to 20 cast members at any one time of nearly all girls aged 14 to 18. Girls participating in the troupe develop their own healthy choices and decision-making skills and develop peer leadership and mentoring skills. The troupe brings to life scripts focusing on life choices teens make each day affecting their future and well-being. The troupe’s goal is to assist their peers in making informed, healthy decisions about their behaviors today that impact their lives tomorrow. Troupe members work with a group sponsor and coach, Kirsten Colt, a PP Heartland educator for Woodbury County, to develop script ideas; research topic areas; and create age-relevant role-playing scenarios to illustrate performance topics. The program sends a reality-based adolescent pregnancy prevention message with an emphasis on abstinence.
