School Play Puts Spotlight on Student's Future

A new play that's making the rounds in city schools is giving high school students a head start when it comes to planning their future. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

A little drama has come to high schools across the city for the third year in a row, in the form of a play with a message. Using hip hop, dialog and graphics, the play, "Lessons on the A Train," addresses issues like dating violence, parental pressure and grief. The characters are city high school students, and their real-life counterparts at the Women's Academy of Excellence in the Bronx can relate.

"He says he wants to be a lawyer, just like me. And he's like very motivated. His parent doesn't really have the money and my grandmother is the only one, basically supports me," said Women's Academy of Excellence student Tasya Steer.

"She was intimidated by college, just as am I, even though I do plan to go to college. And so much the part of rejection I am not comfortable with but I get it," said Women's Academy of Excellence student Melina Gonzalez.

Funding is tight at schools like Women's Academy; leaving little extra for cultural activities like theater, or social-emotional support, like extra counselors. The play tries to help fill that gap.

"The play is really set to open up a forum for these students and the actors to have a dialog between us to talk about the issues at home or whether it be college or boyfriends or girlfriends or parents or friends. So I think it's just to open up the discussion of options after high school and things that are going on in their minds," said "Lessons on the A Train" actor Levon Fickling.

There is another motivation behind the performance, getting high school students to make solid plans for after graduation. And the performers tell students that in most cases those plans should include college.

The play is sponsored by Monroe College, and after the performance, a college admissions officer leads a discussion between the students and actors. Students are also offered free classes at Monroe, and many say they plan on signing up after seeing the performance.

Officials from Monroe say that this untraditional recruiting approach brings a valuable free program into high schools while getting the word out about college.