Play The Game (Ray)
by Kathy Ray

A 30-minute awareness play that explores a variety of issues concerning teen dating relationships.

The story follows four couples and their friends.

Tanya is controlling and emotionally abusive to her boyfriend Jeremy, convincing him that he could never find a girlfriend as good as her.

Dacia accidentally bumps into Ben and later agrees to go to a party with him, even though she's never met him before.

He brags to his guy friends that it'd be a piece of cake to sack her.

Amber is in 8th grade but dating a senior who's been around.

Her friend and classmate Stacey, has noticed how Amber has changed and tries to convince to her stop going with Mark.

Natalie just started dating Josh.

They like each other a lot and in an intimate scene, they struggle over how far they should go.

Since Tanya's mother will be gone for the weekend, she invites her friends over for a bonfire and beer party.

A sudden storm cuts the party short.

Through realistic characters and dialogue, the play shows the power of standing up for your beliefs in choices about sex, the effects of physical and emotional abuse in a dating relationship, the connection between alcohol and date rape, as well as its devastating emotional aftermath, and the importance of talking with each other about expectations and boundaries concerning sex.

The play was created in collaboration with a group of high school students and can serve to springboard post-performance discussion with the audience.