Crossroads Theatre for Youth
The goal of Crossroads Theatre for Youth (CTY) is to educate and create awareness of youth and social issues by developing original work and conducting theatre and drama education programs that make a lasting positive difference in the lives of children and families in American Samoa. CTY develops and performs age-specific plays that are educational and socially-based, throughout the community...
Each performance is followed by interactive discussions as means to gain feedback and share thoughts and ideas of youth concerning social issues.
The vision of CTY was inspired by our youth in 2003 through their tears, fears, pain, and courage. At a time when hopelessness and poverty clouded the minds of many individuals, young people found the courage to put feet to their faith and responded to the issues that break the heart of God: Issues such as suicide, substance abuse, family violence, and child sexual abuse, which took the lives of their peers.
Through drama, young people began to see themselves in a new way; not as disadvantaged victims of society, but as individuals with meaningful purpose and great potentials. CTY celebrates the life and creativity of our youth by allowing them to produce their own work that expands imagination, inspires faith, and provokes thought. From history to confrontations with social issues, tragedies to comedies, theatre has never been more relevant in the communication of ideas than it is today.
CTY receives regional award
Intersections, Inc. was awarded a 3-year grant funding in 2004 from the U.S. Administration for Native Americans (ANA) to create Crossroads Theatre for Youth (CTY). The group develops and tours original theatre performances to strengthen the social and educational development of young people in Pacific Island communities. In 2008, CTY had the honor of receiving the first ANA Pacific Regional award for best practices in youth involvement.
The Set
The painted backdrop captures a little of both the traditional and contemporary worlds of American Samoa. At the left side are echoes of siapo patterns while the right side mirrors the gridwork of computer chips and modern technology. The backdrop also represents the young and the old. The youth, caught between time-honored ways and the desire to experiment with new ideas, react in extremes. The adults, while willing to embrace and adapt to new ideas, are also concerned about losing our traditional culture altogether. Bringing these pieces together is the cross at the center; a symbol of the church’s place in our community, forging a bond between the young and the old, and traditional and contemporary Samoa.
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CTY Providing Options through the Arts
Funded by the Governor’s Safe and Drug Free Discretionary Grant, the program expanded its services to referred high school students who may be in need of alternative services that will assist them in making positive choices. The program aims to “provide positive options through the arts that will shape the attitudes and behaviors of targeted youth towards educational learning and personal development, enabling them to defeat substance abuse and truancy.”
Program activities include individual, group and family counseling, educational counseling and tutorial sessions; performing arts such as drama, dance, and music; recreational sessions and family outreach visits.
Extended activities are now being held at The Learning Center where a new group of young people are rising up, exploring ideas, and learning to take risks by using first-hand information from their peers to develop and shape their music, dance, and drama. Check back on this site for performance dates.