React Substack: March 16, 2026
New beginnings for spring.
Long time no see here in your inbox! After a winter hibernation, we have sprung back into action with projects in every aspect of our program.
Love Over Dose and The Highest High
At the end of February, we presented a full morning of opioid awareness programming at the Athenaeum. In partnership with the Asante Art Institute, we performed Love Over Dose, our original play about opioid abuse, and they led an empowering workshop called The Highest High: Learning and Loving What’s Dope About You, both of which were smash hits with the hundreds of students from schools around the city. We brought in Overdose Lifeline to present on how to use naloxone (NARCAN) while students ate free lunches provided by Cunningham Restaurant Group. The programming was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Arts, Health, and Wellbeing Program produced in partnership with Indy Arts Council.
Spring Session: Celebrations!
The first weeks of the spring session have flown by. This session’s theme is celebrations to mark React’s 50th anniversary. We’ve spent this first month devising from the teacher’s original idea and fleshing out the themes, plot, and characters of the plays. Soon, students will have scripts to practice at home and tickets to the performances will be on sale. The shows will be here before you know it!
Our Next Social Issues Show
For the next several years, we will be partnering with the Asante Art Institute to develop The GUN Project, a production tackling gun violence. Many of you know this already as donors in our community support campaign for the project— thank you! As opposed to devising over the course of a few weeks, the research and development phase of the project will last two years. A memorable moment from the first three rehearsals is students creating scenes in which a young person has a gun. As you can imagine, these scenes were impactful and foregrounded what students are interested in when examining this crucial issue. Get a peek into the rehearsal room in the video below in which students work on a movement exercise.
The Bullying Project
Thanks to connections from React parents, we performed The Bullying Project for hundreds of elementary and middle schoolers at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School at the beginning of this month. The Bullying Project was our first devised play more than ten years ago and has been an ever-changing show every year since. If you know of a school that could use a 20 minute play about bullying, email Fiona at fiona@reactclasses.org. We would love to connect to more schools through the families like you that believe in our program.
We hope your spring is bringing you as many new beginnings as ours is!