North Carolina Central University (NCCU), in partnership with the Duke Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Duke-NCCU Bridge Office, presents “Kites,” an ethnodrama focusing on the diverse voices and lived experiences of those addicted to opioids. The free performances will be held Oct. 14-16, 2022, at NCCU’s Farrison-Newton Communications Building and the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham.
Directed by Stephanie “Asabi” Howard, Ph.D., chair of NCCU’s Department of Theatre with NCCU students featured in the production, this piece will address the impacts of opioid addiction, treatment and recovery through a series of vignettes.
The overuse of opioids, which are a class of drugs that reduce pain and include some prescription pain medications, synthetic fentanyl and heroin, were responsible for the deaths of more than 28,000 North Carolinians from 2000 to 2020. Reports from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services note that the opioid epidemic in the state is devastating families and communities, becoming overwhelming for medical providers and straining prevention and treatment efforts.
Entering their fourth year of programming, the joint goal of NCCU, Duke CTSI and the Duke-NCCU Bridge Office is to provide factual information to help residents in high-risk communities make informed, responsible health decisions surrounding health disparities.
For more information about the “Kites” ethnodrama production, contact Undi Hoffler, Ph.D., NCCU director of Research Compliance and Technology Transfer, at uhoffler@nccu.edu.
Kites Ethnodrama Performance on Oct. 14
- Date: Friday, Oct. 14, 2022
- Time: 6 p.m.
- Place: NCCU Farrison-Newton Communications Building, 501 E. Lawson St., Durham, N.C.
Kites Ethnodrama Performance on Oct. 15
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022
- Time: 6 p.m.
- Place: NCCU Farrison-Newton Communications Building, 501 E. Lawson St., Durham, N.C.
Kites Ethnodrama Performance on Oct. 16
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022
- Time: Reception, 4 p.m.; Showtime, 5 p.m.
- Place: Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St., Durham, N.C.
