By Melody Regalado - Florida Catholic correspondent
Photographer: MELODY REGALADO | FC
Archbishop McCarthy High School students Christopher Tewes, Joe Ferrarelli, David Galindo, and Nicole Garcia perform a particularly dramatic scene in "Don't", a public service play about the dangers of sexting that is being performed for students from neighboring middle schools and the general public.
SOUTHWEST RANCHES � Sexting, a blend of the words �sex� and �texting,� means sending sexually explicit photos and messages via cell phone.
�This is a hot issue on TV and in schools that is pertinent in many kids� lives,� said Cindy Keegan, artistic director and drama teacher at Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches and the author of �Don�t,� a one-act play about sexting.
The play highlights the consequences of sexting, particularly with today�s technology. Photos can appear instantly and spread rapidly among the Internet or from cell phone to cell phone.
�Today�s world isn�t as moral as it used to be,� said David Galindo, a senior at McCarthy High and actor in �Don�t�. �A big thing this year all over is sexting.�
Keegan said she could not find any material on the subject, so she decided to write her own play about it.
The drama department at McCarthy High puts on a community service play every year in which they choose a relevant topic to perform about and invite other schools to attend.
About 30 students auditioned and 17 are in the show. They have been rehearsing for six to seven weeks and are performing four times a day throughout the school day on Feb. 22, 23 and 25 for visiting students in grades six through eight from all over the archdiocese.
Keegan also wrote �Bad Call� for last year�s community service play and �Cyber Mare� the previous year.
Students in the play engage the audience with music, dancing, skits and dialogue.
�They won�t get bored and it will keep their attention,� said Michael Carrulli, a senior at McCarthy High and actor in the play. �It�s interactive and funny so it will get the message across better.�
Although the play deals primarily with sexting, it also touches upon issues such as drugs and bullying.
�Kids are easily influenced and the repercussions are huge,� Keegan said. �Sexting happens so instantly without someone even thinking about it, and it�s a stupid mistake that follows you around.�
The actors explain that even if the sender trusts the person they are sending the content to, they never know whose hands it may fall into or what the person may do later out of anger, particularly after a breakup.
�This play serves as positive reinforcement to kids who are dealing with this every day,� said Jen Chia, a senior at McCarthy High and actress in the play.
About 1 in 5 teens have sent or posted nude images of themselves, and the majority of young adults who have sent such content have sent it to a boyfriend or girlfriend, according to a 2008 survey by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Last September, a 13-year-old girl from Florida committed suicide after being bullied for sending a topless photo to a boy she liked.
Aside from the moral and emotional implications, there are also legal issues that may arise.
In 2009, six teenagers in Pennsylvania were charged with child pornography after sending and receiving nude photos.
�I�m happy to put this message out there,� said Keegan, �and it�s nice for the kids to get to know other schools in the diocese.�
WHERE TO GO
Performances of �Don�t� for the general public take place Feb. 25 and 26 at 6 p.m. in the Maverick Theater at Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School, 5451 S. Flamingo Road, Southwest Ranches. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. For more information call 954-434-8820 or go to www.mccarthyhigh.org.
Photographer: MELODY REGALADO | FC
Archbishop McCarthy High School students Theresa Galindo, Nicole Garcia, Jordan Morris and Alejandro Ortiz perform a scene from "Don't", a play about the modern -- and dangerous -- phenomenon of sexting.
