It provided the students at BBS Idar-Oberstein, Nahetalschule, and Realschule plus Idar-Oberstein with a special day of theater education. The event was held in cooperation with and with funding from the State Office for Social Affairs, Youth, and Social Services, Division of Addiction Prevention.
The Requisit Theater, led by Nora Steagner, is highly regarded in the substance abuse prevention community of Rhineland-Palatinate. What makes it unique is that all of the performers, except for Steagner, have a history of substance abuse themselves. In Idar-Oberstein, the ensemble performed a one-hour improvisational theater piece, followed by discussions in several small groups with students, teachers, and performers. Representatives from the RAK provided expert support for the discussion sessions.
“The Requisit theater group accepts only people who have recovered from addiction and have been clean for at least three months,” explained Nora Steagner, a certified theater educator. This also applies to the actors Pady, Johannes, Dominic, and Sascha. The students were able to influence their play by suggesting themes and moods and adding lines. The multicultural audience clearly enjoyed the opportunity to creatively influence the stage production, resulting in a successful and exciting collaboration that initially had nothing to do with addiction at all.
Nora Steagner explained that this approach creates an atmosphere of trust, which helps students overcome their inhibitions regarding the subsequent discussion groups. It also opens the door to discussing the taboo topic of addiction during these discussion sessions. Bernd Wiesemes, president of the Kiwanis Club of Idar-Oberstein, agreed with this approach and added: “The best way to connect with young people is to interact with them on an equal footing.”
During the discussion sessions, the conversation really got down to business. In a safe and supportive environment, they discussed the causes of addiction and its progression; the students received information about regional counseling centers and the services they offer. The actors are full-time employees of Theater Requisit and have received special training for these discussions. They talk with the young people about the early signs of addiction and ways to overcome it. It’s important to them to convey that the path out of addiction always involves highs, lows, and everything in between. It’s not an all-or-nothing situation—“I’ve made it” or “I’ve relapsed”—relapses are simply part of the process. Steagner emphasized the importance of a motivational approach to conversation, reinforcing coping strategies already learned, and highlighting existing resources. For this reason, the theater also serves as a stabilizing pillar for the former addicts themselves.
Not only the students, but also the teachers themselves took part in a discussion with the theater director. During the discussion, actress Pady, who has been with the theater for several years, spoke about her personal experiences. In her case, traumatic childhood events led to addiction. She has since worked through and reflected on her story through therapy. To minimize the risk of relapse, she joined the Requisit Theater and left her old social circle.
“When people talk about addiction prevention, many immediately think of bans and finger-wagging,” explain Sabine Moser and Sebastian Herzig from the City Youth Welfare Office, who both also lead the Tom and Lisa workshops on alcohol prevention in the city. This event proves that there’s a completely different approach—that providing young people with fun, a zest for life, and new perspectives is the best recipe for combating drugs and excessive alcohol use, the two educators conclude. Risk management—not bans—is also a core aspect of the HaLT (“Hard at the Limit”) alcohol prevention program, which is administered by the Idar-Oberstein City Youth Welfare Office.
“The event generated a lot of interest among our student body. For many young people, it was a wonderful theater experience, and their understanding of the topic of addiction has grown. It’s particularly noteworthy that we even received positive feedback from the students’ families,” explained school social worker Sophie Schwinn. After the event, the students were given a reflection form to fill out. Based on the very positive feedback from the student body, the organizers are considering offering several events with the Requisit Theater in the city of Idar-Oberstein next year.