WESTBROOK – The next forum stemming from the Westbrook code of conduct controversy will look to spark a conversation between students and parents on the issue of youth substance use.

The public discussion will begin with a performance by Maine Inside Out, a theater group made up of youth from South Portland’s Long Creek Youth Development Center. The performance, called “Journey Through Punishment,” conveys the message that the entire community plays a role in shaping the lives of youth.

The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, at the Westbrook High School auditorium.

According to a press release from the Westbrook Communities that Care coalition, which has organized the discussion, the event is “an opportunity to take a deeper look at how our communities shape and influence young people and the role we all play in supporting young people to grow up healthy.”

Two recent forums in Westbrook were the result of a key finding of a report conducted by Biddeford-based arbitrator John Alfano after a reported incident of underage drinking led to an uproar on the handling of disciplinary action for Westbrook student-athletes. The 26-page report, released in early February, faulted Westbrook parents, School Committee members and administrators, and called for community forums to discuss the existing code of conduct policy.

Chiara Liberatore, of Maine Inside Out, who has been facilitating theater workshops with incarcerated adults and youth for some 15 years, said Tuesday that the performance was created and intended as a “conversational tool and dialogue starter” for an annual symposium.

The performance was created last fall by eight teens from Long Creek, who range in age from 14-18. Liberatore said it is about “their experiences with punishment.”

Since the production began, two of the performers have been released and one has been transferred to another facility, so those parts were recast. After each performance, Liberatore said, the cast and the audience talk.

Liberatore said that the strength of the performance resonated with many people, and Maine Inside Out was requested to perform the 10-minute show at additional venues.

“We gained a lot of exposure from the symposium, and the play is really powerful, so we’ve had multiple requests to perform it since then,” she said.

One of these additional performances was at Westbrook High School in March, where the group performed for the entire student body and faculty.

Following the performance, Liberatore said, she was contacted by Claire Schroeder of the Opportunity Alliance and Westbrook Communities that Care coalition, who was organizing an additional public forum in order to focus specifically on youth substance use.

Schroeder believes that this next forum is a chance to bring the conversation back to the often-overlooked issue of substance use, and the stigma that surrounds it in all communites. She said the coalition wants to find out what the Westbrook community knows about substance use.

“We wanted to go back to the piece that we feel has been missing in the conversation,” she said.

Schroeder believes that people have a tendency to look the other way when it comes to discussing substance use, and that a performance such as the one provided by Maine Inside Out can help turn that around.

“The reality is that it can be invigorating to have a conversation on what the best practices are, so that you don’t feel like you’re the only parent working on it,” she said.

She added that following their initial string of performances, Maine Inside Out had “an energy surrounding them” that she thought could translate to the discussions taking place in Westbrook about climate and community, and help spark further discussion.

“What I felt they were trying to convey is that this could happen to any of us, but this is happening to all of us, because we’re all growing up in the same culture,” she said. “How can we change the culture.”

“From the shows we’ve already done, we know that the audience sees the play and they’re really ready to talk,” said Liberatore.

She added that because the majority of students at Westbrook High School have already seen the play, it is great to be able to offer a chance for all parents to see it, as well.

“Hopefully the conversations will continue at home,” she said.

Schroeder added that a community-wide discussion must include parents and adults, and that she hopes for a large turnout for the event, so that students and their parents can discuss the performance and what it meant to them.

Maine Inside Out has been working with Maine correctional facilities since 2007, but, Liberatore said, the performance of “Journey Through Punishment” is the first one that has traveled for multiple performances.

In order to be involved, youth at Long Creek must have off-grounds eligibility, which according to Liberatore, about 20 of some 100 youths at the center have.

Liberatore said reaction to the traveling performance has been amazing.

“It’s only 10 minutes long, but the guys are telling their own stories, so there’s an element of vulnerability and tremendous courage that the audience can feel,” she said. “It packs a punch and people are moved to think about punishment and alternatives.”

Members of the Maine Inside Out theater group perform at the University of Southern Maine’s Hannaford Lecture Hall during their October symposium. The eight members are either currently or formerly part of the Long Creek Youth Development Center program. The group will perform on Tuesday, April 15, at the Westbrook High School auditorium.