Youth Underground Presents
in partnership with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program of Cambridge

How Do We Heal?

A Staged Reading of a New Play Exploring Youth Mental Health

Arranged by Iris Rhian
Directed by Vincent Ernest Siders
Wednesday, August 11 at 2:30pm & 7PM
Starlight Square

What is Youth Underground?

Youth Underground is the resident performance ensemble at Central Square Theater, consisting of economically and culturally diverse Cambridge, Boston, & Greater Boston youth, ages 13-25. Each year, the group creates and performs original theater investigating social issues relevant to young people.

About the Work

How Do We Heal? is a new play exploring youth mental health. Created over a six-week intensive, and drawn from interviews with Youth Underground teens and members of their community, How Do We Heal? considers questions like “Why do we only address mental health when there’s a crisis?”, “Why do adults often seem dismissive or unprepared for youth mental health challenges?”, and “How has the Pandemic affected youth mental health?”. YU’s summer intensive is a partnership with the Cambridge Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

This script is a work in progress, and will be further workshopped and developed by the YU Delegates and Ambassadors ensembles during the academic year. The final play will premiere on the CST Mainstage in June 2022, and then tour to area schools, colleges, and community spaces during the 2022-2023 season.

The Cast

Hosiah Blair
Janelle Casanova-Dejesus
Eden Cherisme
Bennett Corso
Anaiya Jacobs
Agustina León Perdomo
Kale Pace
Makaila Ramirez
Joshua Shacklewood
Sara Solomon
Matthew West jr.
Solan Yesus

Production Team

Youth Underground Playwriting Fellow, Iris Rhian
Director, Vincent Ernest Siders
Stage Manager, Ty Ruwe
Teaching Assistant, Caitlin Morley
Playwriting Assistant/Music Design, Zay Pearson
Movement Design, Eva Murray
Education Manager, Kortney Adams
Education Assistant, AJ Helman

Special Thanks to

Rebecca Schneebaum, Ray DuBois, Betsy Bard, Debra Wise, Cassie Chapados, Carmen DeBenedictis, The Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, several student and alumni friends of Youth Underground, and all of the interview participants.

Join Youth Underground!

Are you a young person aged 13-25 who would like to participate in creating work like this? Come join us! The Delegates and Ambassadors meet once a week during the school year. Contact us for details:

Kortney Adams
kaa@centralsquaretheater.org
617-307-4257