Huntington's Anti-Bullying Program to Perform New Play Today

Students from the Huntington's anti-bullying program "Not Waiting on the World to Change" will perform STOP: Stories to Open Perspective, a new play written by the students and directed by Pascale Florestal, at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA today, May 24 at 7:30pm. A post-show discussion will follow the reading.

Huntington Education Assistant Marisa Jones and Education and Community Associate Pascale Florestal are co-teachers of the program and have worked with 10 Boston-area high school students to create a new play focusing on the issue of teenage bullying. Students from seven schools in the Boston and Greater Boston area applied to be a part of the program, and the Huntington's education department worked with teachers to select the final 10 participants. The following schools are involved in the Huntington's "Not Waiting on the World to Change" program: Boston Latin Academy, British International School of Boston, Codman Academy Charter Public School, Excel High School, Snowden International School at Copley, Thayer Academy, and Wakefield Memorial High School.

During the course of the two-month program students met weekly to write the play; assist with research; write original work on the subject of bullying through poetry, monologues, and essays; and read various drafts of the play aloud. Students also shared their personal experiences with bullying, including observed situations.

"The current "Not Waiting on the World to Change" class brings tremendous passion to their campaign to end bullying," says co-teacher Marisa Jones. "The students are champions of social change and justice in their schools and communities. Our 10 program participants are currently working on an original performance piece which addresses a tragic and all-too-common consequence of ignoring this epidemic: youth suicide. The production will address the difficult questions of where to lay blame, how to heal, and most importantly, what students, teachers, and parents can do to combat the traumatic effects of bullying in our evolving world."

"It's interesting that nearly everyone has gone through [bullying] in some way or another," says Jacarrea Washington, a student at Boston Latin Academy. "It has an impact on so many people, yet it still keeps occurring so frequently. A lot of people seem to ignore bullying, but that doesn't do anything to help raise awareness or solve the problem. I have done work for anti-bullying campaigns before. I find it more effective when you don't just talk about the issues, but actually do something interactive, giving the audience a visual lesson."

Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award and named Best of Boston 2013 and 2014 by Boston magazine, the Huntington Theatre Company has developed into Boston's leading professional theatre and one of the region's premier cultural assets since its founding in 1982. Bringing together superb local and national talent, the Huntington produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions, runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development, and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso and in residence at Boston University, the Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.

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