Goodrich – Two Oaktree fifth-graders recently teamed up with visiting theatre company actors to educate about bullying.
As peer mediators at Oaktree, Paul Johnson and Madison Laureto, both fifth-graders, work to mediate minor issues among their fellow students on the playground, said Oaktree principal Kim Hart.
The theatre-in-the-round style presentation centered on Keilan, a new boy who was being teased, kicked, and picked on by a girl who was also being bullied, creating a vicious cycle.
‘This is crazy,? said Austin, one of the characters. ‘One kid gets bullied and turns into a bully himself.?
The play demonstrated the kids? attempts to deal with bullying through ‘getting tough?, confronting the bully, talking to a teacher, and banding together to create an anti-bullying campaign.
At the close of the play the actors, mostly in their 20s, took turns fielding questions from the audience.
‘Why did (victim) Keilan change from really sweet to really mean?? one Oaktree student wanted to know.
Keilan took Austin’s ‘get tough? advice, replied the actor; after being continually pushed he erroneously thought the only way to get out of it was to hurt back. They also defined what makes a bully, and discussed solutions. The actors advised students to talk to the bully first if the abuse included teasing, but to go to an adult, social worker, or school counselor if the child was being physically bullied, or if the behavior continued after talking to the bully.
Actors, who were from Missouri, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and Ohio, are part of Bridgework Theater of Goshen, Ind. For more information about the program, call 800-200-1602 or go to www.bridgework.org.