COLUMBIA ACTORS PLAN TEEN-PREGNANCY SHOWS

A troupe of teen actors from Columbia will perform at four area schools Friday in an effort to bring attention to teen-age pregnancy and other teen troubles.

InterAct: Teen-to-Teen Theater of Columbia will perform at Oak Ridge High School, Jackson Junior High School, Delta High School and Notre Dame High School.

The local Teen Pregnancy and Responsibility Network is sponsoring the performances as part of its efforts to curb teen pregnancy and other high-risk behavior.

Missouri has the second-fastest growing teen pregnancy rate in the nation. One of every 10 babies in Missouri in 1990 was born to an unmarried teen-ager.

InterAct is a prevention program designed to give teens and adults a chance to talk about the consequences of high-risk behavior.

The company is made up of teen actors from high schools and middle schools in Columbia.

They develop and perform short plays dealing with peer pressure, self-esteem, teen-age pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, family relationships, teen suicide, rape, sexually transmitted diseases, racism and sexism.

Many of the plays are open-ended. Onstage characters draw audience members into the performance to talk about the issues.

The troupe is directed by Rick Plumber, who formerly acted and directed off-off Broadway, university, dinner theater, community theater and children's theater productions.

InterAct performed in Cape Girardeau last year during a parenting conference.