An interactive community education theater arts program that teaches how to cope with major life challenges through the perspective of multigenerational and multicultural cast.

A pilot project offered in cooperation with The Freehold Borough YMCA Community Center.

Program development and fundraising plans in progress. If you are interested in becoming a Humanity Player call for an interview.

Developed and Presented by Bernice Garfield-Szita MS, LPC, TEP Bob Szita, MS, LPC, TEP Action Artz Training Institute & Contemporary Counseling Center 9 South Main St. Marlboro NJ 732-577-1076

Humanity Players will dramatize how individuals, families, and the community can learn to cope with the effects of a variety of events and issues including:

• Aftermath of September 11th
• Addiction prevention for at risk teens, adults, & seniors
• Divorce
• Illness & loss
• Violent crime
• Economic turmoil
• Aging
• Retirement

Creating A Community Bridge
Every community is filled with inspirational stories of how its members have courageously faced difficult times and through the warmth of human connections have overcome impossible odds. Humanity Players will draw on the unique perspectives of a multigenerational and multicultural team to create and perform original scenes that will explore some of life's most challenging issues.

These public dramatizations will be performed at various sites such as schools, libraries, churches and temples, and other public venues. They will enable audiences to view the human experience through the eyes of every age level from seniors to young children and to gain insight into the cultural influences that shape our coping skills. Each performance will include a professionally led audience and cast discussion about the theme of the dramatic presentation.

Community volunteers are needed to help launch a pilot program called Humanity Players. Humanity Players is an interactive community theater arts education program that will bring together individuals of different ages and diverse backgrounds to explore and dramatize some of life's most challenging issues. Candidates from teens through seniors and from all cultural backgrounds will be interviewed by the program directors. Participants will meet regularly to share real life stories and develop original scripts that will be performed by a multi-generational and multi-cultural cast.

Bernice Garfield-Szita MS, LPC, TEP and Bob Szita MS, LPC, TEP Co-directors of ActionArtz Training Institute of Marlboro are the creators and directors of Humanity Players. ActionArtz Institute and the Freehold Borough YMCA Community Center directed by Mel O'Neal are pooling skills and resources to launch this non-profit educational pilot program. There will be no charge to Humanity Players participants. Anyone interested in further information or in becoming a Humanity Player, please contact ActionArtz at 732-577-1076 or from their website at www.ActionArtz.com.

Who Are The Humanity Players?

A diverse group of volunteer trained community members representing different ages, socioeconomic status, and cultural backgrounds.

How Will It Work?

• Volunteers will be interviewed and chosen from the community by the program directors to form Life Lesson "focus" Groups.
• Life Lessons Groups will meet regularly to explore issues and develop original scripts. Scenes will be created by participants under the leaders' direction.
• Members of these groups will be chosen the scenes in the public presentations.
• Performances will be scheduled, as funding allows, throughout the year in schools, churches and temples, corporations, and other community locations.
• Professionally led discussions with the audience and cast will be held as part of each educational performance.

Who Will Benefit?

• The community will have a dynamic and effective educational resource.
• Focus group members and performers will gain self-esteem, confidence, enhanced coping skills, and pride in providing meaningful learning experiences for the community.
• Audience members will gain a multicultural and multigenerational perspective about critical life issues as problems and solutions are enacted. Participation in the program discussions will expand their personal learning.

How Will Humanity Players Be Funded?

The project will be funded by foundation and corporate grants, individual contributions, fundraising campaigns, and the production of educational materials and audio video tapes for the future sale.

About The Co-Directors of Humanity Players Bernice Garfield-Szita MS, LPC, TEP Bob Szita MS, LPC, TEP

Bernice and Bob share a dream to create a dynamic dramatic ares education program that will tap the positive energy of every sector within the community to address difficult life issues. They are well known for their successful innovative community programs. Both Bob and Bernice are Licensed Professional Counselors, nationally board Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors, and Trainers, Educators and Practitioners of psychodrama and the use of action group techniques.

Bernice and Bob are active community leaders in numerous organizations including : Chair of the Women in Business Committee of Western Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, board members of Center Players of Freehold, consultants to Freehold Community Counseling Service, Past President of the NJ Chapter of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, and adjunct faculty at Brookdale Community College. They are international conference presenters and consultants to educational systems, corporations, and health care agencies.