Dr. Jo Beth Gonzalez has been involved in theatre education for over 20 years. Based on her experiences, the Bowling Green (Ohio) High School drama teacher believes that the stage makes for the perfect platform to spread awareness of social issues.

“Drama may be the most successful portal for creating a safe space for honest dialogue among young people,” Gonzalez said during a Feb. 24 forum at Bluffton University.

While she and her students have presented well-known productions like “The Music Man” and “West Side Story,” she prefers to step out of the director’s role and let students take the reins. One of her courses tasks them with writing, directing and acting in a 20-minute drama to build their “critical consciousness” about social issues.

Last fall, students in the course put on a play about a student, the son of an alcoholic father, who suffers from depression. Another of Gonzalez’s students played the role of depression, encouraging the son to drop out of school, withdraw from others and commit suicide with his father’s gun.

“The strategies I incorporate as a theatre teacher and director prioritize student voice over mine because I believe that encourages them to think more critically,” she told the audience.

While the play delivered a powerful message about the serious and destructive nature of depression, Gonzalez didn’t expect that one of the actors would confide in her that he had been contemplating suicide. Performing in the play encouraged him to speak out, however.

“Several students commented on how learning the signs of suicide made them aware of their own friends’ behaviors, which they may have overlooked,” said Gonzalez, current president of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and the author of two books on theatre education.

She shared a response from one student, who said that “our workshop may have potentially saved someone’s life because the participants realized that some of their friends are showing signs of suicide.”

While original dramas let the students create their own messages, even mainstream productions can invite critical analysis. For example, “West Side Story” explores ethnic tensions and “The Music Man” harbors racist undertones, Gonzalez said.

The holder of a Ph.D. in theatre from Bowling Green State University, she also leads a troupe that tours the state to present an original drama about human trafficking, including performances at the annual Human Trafficking, Prostitution and Sex Work Conference at the University of Toledo.

The drama follows a young woman who is about to be kidnapped at a party. But when the stakes are at their highest, the play freezes. The audience is then invited to make suggestions for the actress to escape from a dangerous situation.

Toledo has been ranked number four in the country for sex trafficking of young girls, Gonzalez noted. She hopes that by spreading awareness of the issue and by facilitating discussion, the audience will walk away prepared to speak out against human trafficking.

“Responsible citizenship: Think. Care. Voice. Act,” she said.