Norwalk : ‘Secrets’ Play About AIDS Presented at High School

Most of the 1,900 students at John Glenn High School in Norwalk and some of their parents this week attended a presentation of “Secrets,” a 40-minute play aimed at educating teen-agers about the dangers of AIDS.

There were six performances by actors from Kaiser Permanente’s health theater program. The actors are paid by Kaiser, while all performances are free.

The program is based on true stories and gives information about transmission and prevention of the disease. After the play, Kaiser medical personnel and the five actors answered questions from the audience.

Because teen-agers are showing the same high-risk pattern of sexual and drug activities that caused the disease to spread among gay males in the early 1980s, new ways must be found to educate them, said Lydia Becerra, public affairs director for Kaiser.

Johnna Moore, administrator for secondary education for the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, praised the play. “It was really excellent,” she said. “It covered in 40 minutes through music and dance information what would take a regular class a (school) quarter.”

Kaiser will be presenting the play on high school campuses throughout Southern California. School districts desiring to see the play can get information at (818) 405-5517.