Last night, at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts presented a unique new work, My Soul Look Back and Wonder: Life Stories from Women in Recovery — a production of its acclaimed Life Stories program. After the performance, R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, took part in a panel discussion about the play and the critical issues of substance abuse and homelessness.

According to the Theatre Lab, “The program began in early February on-site at the N Street Village facility, a recovery center for homeless and low-income women. Theatre Lab instructor Thomas Workman led a group of ten women in recovery for substance abuse through acting, storytelling, and drama therapy exercises. Participants shared details of their personal lives, including family issues, struggles with drugs, and homelessness. The stories were then crafted into theatre piece by Helen Hayes Award-winning playwright Jennifer L. Nelson. The women — none of whom are professionally trained actors — performed the play themselves under the direction of Theatre Lab founder and co-executive director Deb Gottesman.”

Since 2000, Life Stories has offered a free dramatic arts outreach program for some of DC’s most vulnerable youth and adults who, through training in acting, writing, and directing, create original works for the stage and screen based upon their own lives. “The work by the women in our Life Stories program is not only a moving testament to the courage it takes to survive through the most challenging of circumstances, but it’s also very good art,” said Gottesman. “Bringing this play to The Kennedy Center allows us to showcase the work at the highest artistic level even as we bring exposure to some of the most important issues of our day.”

Learn more about this compelling program and performance in the Washington Post!