Have you ever lived in a place for years and suddenly discovered a gem in your community? A place that needs no fancy advertising because the word-of-mouth about that place has resulted in a steady stream of people through the door? And then you wonder how on Earth you never knew it was there? To me, that is what The SOURCE is like. We’ve been telling you about The SOURCE for the past two days (see this post and this post), but now we’d like to formally introduce you to the woman at the helm . . .

KT Curran is the Director/Producer of The SOURCE Theatre and Video Productions for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. As Director of The SOURCE, KT’s mission is very clear: illuminating for young adults a guided pathway toward healthier and happier lives.

For over twenty years KT has had the pleasure of building The SOURCE from a small group of youth into a large, nationally recognized touring theatre and video company that reaches thousands of adult and youth audiences each year. As Director/Producer, KT works with a cast of 30 – 50 high school and college age students in creating a repertoire of life-affirming and socially relevant plays and videos that encourage youth to take their place in history and to let the power of their voices be heard across America and even the world. KT is committed to producing plays that help illuminate and shine a light on the issues and concerns of young people. Recently, Valerie Futch, now a postdoctoral fellow at Youth-Nex, the University of Virginia’s Center to Promote Effective Youth Development, completed her dissertation at the CUNY Graduate Center in NYC about the SOURCE Theatre program and concluded that, “The SOURCE is a unique “safe space” for youth, co-constructed by KT (the director) and the engaged youth, that privileges youth voices and experiences….The SOURCE experience becomes embodied in ways that inform future decisions, identity development, and personal relationships.”

KT has written twenty-five plays for young adults, eleven of which are nationally published and performed by groups across the United States, including The Holding Cell, a play about prescription drug overdose which is currently being presented nationwide as part of the WAKE UP prevention program, and Surviving Lunch, a play about bullying that is published by Dramatic Publishing. In addition to her work as a director and playwright, KT serves as a national consultant to groups around the country who are interested in doing educational theatre with and for youth. She has created numerous PSAs and educational videos for targeted groups in the community, including BOOST, a new short film that recently premiered at the Sarasota Film Festival; a new web series for college students called Freefall (the second season is currently in production), and many public service announcements such as “Sure You Want To Do It” which won a Gold Addy Award and Judges’ Choice Award from a national panel of judges. The SOURCE is unique in that, not only is it a safe place for positive identity development, it also is a training ground for professional acting. KT is also a professional Equity actress and has toured nationally and internationally in musicals, cabarets and dramatic productions, offering youth a rare opportunity to learn about professional theatre and film, while growing into healthy adults in a safe place. Many of the hundreds of SOURCE alum have gone on to professional careers in theatre, film, psychology, teaching, social work, and law enforcement.

That’s her official bio, but I’d like to add a more personal note. I’ve had the pleasure of working with KT for the last 7+ years. It is a unique and fun thing to have a trained actress on your education team at a reproductive health non-profit. It takes years of calculated moves, dedication, and communication to build the kind of reputation she has built, so naturally, she is fiercely protective of it. She, and everyone around her is incredibly proud of the work she does. KT is a gem, a heroine among us. You’ll never be the same after you step into her lair.

KT is a mother to a very successful and beautiful she-tiger, but she’s also a mother to every single teen who has ever walked through her doors. You can hear her roar any time she’s teaching, fielding questions from parents, or receiving late-night crisis text messages from her cubs. Although tigers are usually solitary animals, when they get together they are called a “streak,” and as a SOURCE graduate wrote, the solitary tigers who walk through the doors of The SOURCE for the first time looking for a place to belong eventually turn into a streak. They are a wonderfully powerful, moving, and dramatic group of tigers who toss their solitary nature aside because when they’re in the tigress’ lair, teen pretenses, sarcastic glares, dramatic eye-rolls, and petty differences disappear – and that is the REAL power of The SOURCE.

To get your teen involved or to book a performance, email kt@thesourceteentheatre.org.