About The Show

Evolving from discussions with Teen-age students, HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL voices their frustrations, joys, fears, and concerns. Through the nurturing and empathetic ear of Elliott Taubenslag, the author, many of his students put their feelings in the form of compositions and poems. In reading through these submissions, with their outpouring of emotions, he created a universal pop musical based on the materials. The message was simple: Their experiences are shared by all; no matter what they are going through, even though they might think they are alone they are not. Adolescents have commonness, and if we can expose them to that, certain aspects of life would be more understandable. And we are here to help youth learn.

In HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL, musical entertainment is the vehicle chosen to present such topics as: peer pressure, dating and relationships, sibling rivalry, scholastic problems, and drunk driving.

Adolescent life can be a time of great joy as well as mass confusion. Our production is not an attempt to educate students. It is merely an opportunity to present to them the idea that they are part of a group, a union, and not just an entity unto themselves. We offer hopeful visions through a pressure-free medium. There are no walls or barriers in entertainment, nor preconceived defense mechanisms by students. This simple fact gives our message a greater impact than that of parent or counselor. Being presented in this manner, issues are not perceived judgmentally by students. We strive to tell it to them, like it was told it to us...only with further insight and understanding. HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL leaves the audience with a very positive feeling that being a teen-ager can be a time of solvable problems and a time of great happiness.

After successfully touring with HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL for ten years, we began to license out the rights for performances in schools throughout the country. The response was phenomenal, making HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL a musical many drama directors have done again and again. Glendale High School in California has mounted the production with such success, that they have repeated the production four years. If you would like more information on this production for your school or organization, contact us and we'll be happy to send you perusal materials.

What Other Drama Clubs Have Said
After Performing This Musical

"The response to HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL was way beyond our expectations - cheers standing ovations at every performance. Every high school in America should produce this show!"
David Parker - St. Andrews School - Boca Raton, FL

"We performed your musical, and we must say it was an unqualified success. The kids felt it depicted an accurate version of high school life and identified with every area. Again, we enjoyed doing this musical very much."
Lisa Cockerell - Peaster H.S. - Peaster, TX

"Thank you so much for putting this wonderful play 'out there' for the rest of us. This play is so appropriate for our students. It is a perfect blend of true to life elements, spoken as people in this age group speak...It's real - it's honest - it's a rollercoaster - like life is. The students loved it, the faculty loved it, the parents loved it, and as a director, I loved it too. I'll be hard pressed to find anything like it in the future."
Sybilla Irwin - Devine H.S. - Devine, TX

A Few Words From Administrators

"Every High School student should see this play."
Camden County Vo-Tech

"Your play was effective because it was real, current, and believable - in a word - genuine."
Monsignor Donovan High School

"The rave reviews from the administration and faculty are still coming in! It was an event that all who witnessed will remember for a long time to come."
Bloomfield High School

Join These Drama Clubs and Give Your Students
A Production They'll Never Forget

• Jefferson Township High School - Sparta, NJ
• Peaster High School - Peaster, TX
• Devine High School - Devine, TX
• Hinsdale High School - Hinsdale, NH
• Glendale High School - Glendale, CA
• Rider High School - Wichita Falls, TX
• Arnass Pass High School - Arnass Pass, TX
• Saint Andrews High School - Boca Raton, FL
• Wicamico High School - Salisbury, MD
• Hughson High School - Hughson, CA
• Fenwick High School - Oak Park, IL
• Grapevine High School - Grapevine, TX
• Prospect High School - Saratoga, CA
• H.S. for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice - Houston, TX

Competition Winner

Weymouth High School - Weymouth, MA
Top finalist at the New England Drama Theater Competition Winner of several acting awards including "Best Ensemble" for HOW I SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL