Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Taking a Stand Against Bullying


The ensemble would like to give a shout out to Graeme Taylor for being a courageous bystander and standing up against bullying. You ROCK!

Taylor's speech at an Ann Arbor school board meeting has gone viral in a matter of days. In the video below you can see an articulate and openly gay teen offering his support to a teacher who was suspended for intervening in a bullying situation.

Here is just one example of the power young people can have in their communities. For teens who think, "I'm just one person, how can I make a difference?" or "I'm just a teenager, what kind of change can I make to this world?" Take a cue from this young student and see how powerful your voice can be if you only have the courage to make yourself be heard!



Huzzah to Graeme for having the courage to speak up!!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Changing Lives All Over Austin


The ensemble's last two performances are making headlines! Our new play raises questions about the isolation young people can experience. It also takes a stance on bullying and cyber-hate. Check out this news video featuring our anti-bullying work at the No Place for Hate Youth Summit. See ensemble member Stephanie Loza's interview at the address below.

http://weareaustin.com/fulltext?nxd_id=102497&shr=addthis

Our performance at the Ann Richards School was also a huge success!

We performed our play for an intimate audience and had some great conversations about bullying. Take a peek at some of these photos of our ensemble as they perform for an audience of young women at the "We Are Girls" Coference.



Melissa and her Boyfriend each reflect on
her jealousy and wonder "what will happen next?"





In this scene, "The Rocket" is pressured by his friends to harass the new kid.




A teacher wonders why the new kid is having such a hard time fitting in.





In this scene, a father reaches out to his daughter,
who is feeling isolated at her new school.


More news to come about our December 9th sharing at the Griffin School!






Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ensemble to Perform at the We Are Girls Conference



Our ensemble will be be making an appearance at an exciting local conference this Saturday. The Girls Empowerment Network (GenAustin) will be hosting their We Are Girls Conference this Saturday, November 6th at the Ann Richards School.

Registration is still open if you'd like to attend this conference!

GenAustin's mission is "to foster healthy self-esteem in girls by engaging them to explore and define their personal values and to build skills that empower them with confidence and courage to make wise choices." For more information on GenAustin or their work in the Austin Area, please see their website: www.genaustin.org

We will perform our teen-generated performance piece about issues of bullying and cyberbullying. After the performance, ensemble members will host a series of interactive activities and help participants brainstorm different ways they can become a helpful bystanders in bullying situations.





Nicole (center) plays Claire, the new girl in school
who becomes the target of some nasty rumors.



Why is it different to text than to say something directly to someone's face?



In this moment, ensemble members create a human facebook wall.
When do comments made "just for fun" get out of hand?


Thanks for tuning in.
We'll keep you posted with photos and news from this weekend's performance!