Greek Life : Caught in the act: Acting troupe from Albany perform to promote sexual health
Sex jeopardy, contraceptive displays and poetry will make their way into Schine Underground on Thursday.
An Albany theater troupe called Too Deep Entertainment will perform ‘The Adventures Of Condom Man’ to increase people’s knowledge about HIV and AIDS, substance abuse and other health-related issues, said Abdul Abdullah, the historian of Syracuse University’s Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which is coordinating the event to begin at 7 p.m.
The play follows a battle between characters named Condom Man and Seductress, who causes STDs. Condom Man helps save at-risk couples with information about the use of condoms, according to the website of Steamer No. 10 Theatre, where the show is playing in Albany.
‘It’s a play about healthy sexual practices,’ said Abdullah, a senior psychology and biology major. ‘We’re trying to give advice to the audience, information about how to have safe sex, healthy sexual practices, getting tested and just being aware of society issues with sex.’
Peer education groups from the SU R.A.P.E. Center will also participate in the event.
Phi Beta Sigma is pushing to lower incidents of diseases commonly affecting men by using education and other activities that encourage healthier living, Abdullah said.
‘It’s not just about informing them about the subjects but letting them know where they can go to get help,’ Abdullah said. ‘We want to increase their awareness on all types of issues.’
The central themes of the play, which promote healthy relationships, communication and empowering individuals through education and dialogue, are consistent with the R.A.P.E. Center’s initiatives, said Janet Epstein, associate director of the R.A.P.E. Center, in an e-mail.
‘We hope to gain an interactive dialogue, which is at the heart of prevention education,’ Epstein said.
Dialogue about sexual health topics, such as the one on Thursday, can help create a culture on campus that encourages community members to help reduce sexual violence, harassment and abuse, Epstein said.
Sexual and relationship violence affect all members of the community, and the center can create a more caring, safer community by educating people about those issues, Epstein said. At the R.A.P.E Center, there are violence prevention programs that use an ’empowered bystander’ approach to reduce gender violence and bullying, Epstein said.
‘Rather than focusing on young men as perpetrators or potential perpetrators,’ Epstein said, ‘the focus is on men, women and transgender individuals as empowered bystanders who can develop strategies to intervene safely when faced with circumstances of abusive behavior.’
Published on November 3, 2010 at 12:00 pm
