Agency News- Teens Teaching Through Theatre

Carnelius Quinn from T4, a program of Routes for Youth, was recently interviewed about this creative program. T4 is a unique theatre troupe in that it fuses two worlds together that rarely gets a chance to co-exist. Carnelius says, "While we rehearse and perform like any other troupe, our jobs do not end there. The writing is our own – inspired by the lives of the cast, and their encounters in the community. We are a mirror for life, and a drawing board for change. The group is its own community, and provides an outlet for the cast to speak. And it’s a truly powerful thing when the audience really listens. These aren’t just our stories – they’re your stories, and we always invite those interested to help us make the ending."

What is the name of your theater group and what does the name mean?

The troupe is named Teens Teaching Through Theatre, T4 for short. This name represents the mission statement our home agency, Routes For Youth, holds – that teens listen to each other. We do not only perform, we aim to educate and empower.

When was it founded, why, by whom and how is it funded?

T4 was founded in 1985 by its creator, and the current Executive Director of Routes For Youth, Dyan Foster. We are funded primarily through a generous grant from Sonoma County Department of Health. We also receive various community funding and support.

What is your mission?

Our mission is to bring fresh and compelling peer-based educational theatre to Sonoma County schools.

Do you have a theater? Where? If not, where do you rehearse?

We do not have a home theatre. We rehearse in the Routes For Youth office primarily, since it is a versatile space. We have transformed the office into a Black Box theatre on several occasions, however.

Who is the company director? What is his background?

Carnelius Quinn is the current director. He is from San Francisco , and has performed in community theatre since childhood. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a double BA in Theatre and Sociology, and his area of specialty is play development and theatre for social change.

What are the titles of some of your most recent projects?

Our Spring 2006 season had two shows:

1. Looking Beyond The Rainbow
2. I Love You, I Hate You! – Violence Exposed

Describe your script writing process.

Our script writing process is chaotic, exciting, and varies depending on the cast and the issues at hand. We collaborate with community organizations to train us on the issues we wish to present. Then through playwriting exercises, improvisation games, and constant cast feedback and edits – a script is born...maybe even a good one.

How many actors are in your company? How do they audition?

We currently have 18 cast members, though we are losing 9 to college and life beyond Sonoma County . Though actors can be admitted throughout the year, T4 holds annual auditions at the beginning of the school year. Auditions include meeting and talking with the cast, performing cold readings of script excerpts, and monologue and poetry sharing. There is also a personal interview that takes place to make sure newcomers are aware of the expectations.

Where does the company perform?

We perform at community forums, in residential treatment facilities, in juvenile hall facilities, and schools. Some are mainstream high schools, but most are continuation and community schools. We feel it is important to reach this demographic – as they are often deprived of access to the Arts, especially as a medium of education.

Is there an educational component to your performances? What happens before or after a performance?

Besides the show being educational itself, T4 hosts a “talkback” with the audience after every performance. We share definitions, statistics, community resources, and the knowledge we’ve learned from the community organizations that helped us understand the topic at hand. The cast members are Pre/Post tested for workshops on relevant topics we receive throughout the year.

What do you hope to accomplish with the project? For the actors? For your audience?

T4 aims to create change in its community. This change takes many incarnations. For the cast it means being educated on current issues, and capable of sharing this knowledge in their friend circles. For our audiences we aim to deter our communities’ current culture of violence and silence - and replace it with knowledge, inspiration, and life.

"The proof that one truly believes is in action."

-Bayard Rustin

For more information call Carnelius Quinn at 707-527-6810 or email him at cquinn@routesforyouth.org