Painless: The Opioid Musical

OVERVIEW

Musical addressing opioid addiction and recovery, aimed at young audiences.

• Integrates engaging, true-story-based content with educational resources for comprehensive substance use awareness
• Drug misuse education in schools, community awareness events, youth outreach programs

BACKGROUND

Painless: The Opioid Musical is a groundbreaking approach that combines music and storytelling to address the opioid crisis. Developed collaboratively by the University of Michigan’s Precision Health, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and OPEN, the musical uses real-life stories from Families Against Narcotics as its foundation.

INNOVATION

"Painless: The Opioid Musical" brings a fresh, impactful approach to drug misuse education through the arts. Developed collaboratively by the Overdose Prevention Engagement Network (OPEN) and the University of Michigan, the musical is based on real-life stories of addiction and recovery, creating a profound, relatable narrative for young audiences. This innovation integrates performances with free educational resources, including teacher guides, health modules, a cast album, and a toolkit to support in-depth engagement. The technical advance of this project lies in its artistic yet data-informed presentation of the opioid overdose crisis, combining emotional storytelling with practical educational tools. Real-world applications are extensive, encompassing school-based drug misuse prevention education programs, community awareness campaigns, and youth engagement initiatives, offering a multifaceted approach to opioid misuse awareness and prevention.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

LICENSE INFORMATION:

This license allows you to perform the musical "Painless" solely for non-commercial purposes for the period of 1 year.  This means that Licensee may conduct performances free of charge, but may not charge admission fees or generate any form of revenue through these performances.

For more information on the musical, visit painless.org.