React has been producing theater with the youth of Indianapolis since 1976, but we began to focus on making theater for social change in 2009. Since then, we have produced 30+ social issues shows, dealing with topics such as bullying, homophobia, and violence. Bullying is one in a series of Special Projects, or our social issues shows in which we take our students through the entire research and devising process, then tour the performance around schools throughout central Indiana and beyond.
The Bullying Project has been devised and performed repeatedly since 2013. Unlike any of our other work, it is constantly being re-devised and rethought by and for different generations of students. Over the years, dozens of React students have had a hand in shaping the story that most speaks to them. Every student that performs the piece leaves their fingerprints on it and ensures that the show continues to be relevant, effective, and thoughtful.
We believe in the power of art’s influence, and are committed to providing our students with the opportunity to educate themselves and their peers about the causes and effects of bullying. Our students pride themselves on being a part of the bullying prevention ecosystem in schools across Indiana.
We also believe that there’s no one better to lead this conversation than the youth who are affected by this problem. The script was built by elementary, middle, and high school students who know what it is like to face this issue, and who know how to relate to their peers in ways that adults can’t.
This packet is a guide for teachers and educators to navigate conversations leading up to and following The Bullying Project, and includes a scene-by-scene breakdown of the script, a description of the cast of characters, discussion questions, frequently asked questions, and additional resources.
As you prepare to attend The Bullying Project, we suggest starting a conversation with your students about mental health and the basics of the climate crisis. Ask them open-ended questions about both topics, and explore the complexities of these issues together. Some questions might include:
Before seeing the performance, please take a few minutes to discuss with your students and children what they can expect from one of our shows and what their responsibilities are as audience members.
It’s first period English class and Noa, Devin, and Jules have been assigned a group project on bullying. Here’s the thing: Noa and Jules feel like Devin is bullying Noa, and Devin feels bullied by Noa and Jules. Their personal experiences of bullying begin to come to light as they reluctantly work together to complete the assignment.
Noa
Noa struggles to make friends and fit in, partially because of switching schools so many times. Recently, though, Noa’s been working on being more confident.
Devin
Devin is defensive, always worried that everyone is actually laughing at them or hates them. Quick to anger, but trying to work on that.
Jules
Jules is popular and cool, never had a problem making friends. Really good at including others and making everyone feel welcome. Jules cares about doing what’s right.
Scene 1: The School Day Starts
Noa, Devin, and Jules arrive at school for the first class of the day: English. They work on last minute homework, try to take a nap, and get stuff from their lockers before class starts.
Scene 2: The Project So Far
Noa, Devin, and Jules perform what they have so far of the scene they’ve made for the assignment.
Scene 3: How Should It End?
The trio discusses different ideas for how the scene should end. Devin feels like their ideas aren’t being heard and lashes out at Noa. Jules proposes a new scene that might work better.
Scene 4: Almost Friday
Jules narrates a scene about an Instagram account that posts a really embarrassing photo of someone they go to school with and refuses to take it down.
Scene 5: Devin’s Mind
Devin tells us about what’s been going on in their life. They’re feeling excluded by their friend group and upset that they feel so angry about it.
Scene 6: Grace and Abby
Devin tells a story about characters named Grace and Abby who were really close before Abby got new friends and started excluding Grace.
Scene 7: Noa’s Mind
Noa debates telling Devin and Jules what their experience of bullying has been and shares some of their reflections on always feeling like the odd one out.
Scene 8: Noa’s Story
Noa creates a scene about their history of being bullied.
Scene 9: Jules’ Mind
Jules reflects on what Noa just shared. They didn’t realize it was that bad for them.
Scene 10: Working Together
The trio talks about how people get over bullying and make amends.
Scene 11: The Final Project
Devin, Noa, and Jules perform their scene again, this time with an ending they all like.
What counts as bullying?
In the play, Noa, Devin, and Jules read the assignment and it defines bullying as “the use of force, threat or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others.” The Anti-Bullying Alliance identifies four key elements of bullying:
Kids Against Bullying lists some examples of bullying behavior like hitting, shoving, punching, name calling, excluding, and spreading rumors.
What should I do about bullying when I am not the one being bullied?
It can be hard to know how to stand up for someone– or to have the courage to do so. Kidscape has a couple of different ideas like telling an adult, standing up to the bully, and going out of your way to be friends with the person who is being bullied. Don’t Do Nothing provides a list of questions to ask yourself when you’re wondering if you should stand up for someone:
Right to Be, AAJC, and AARP created videos about each of the five Ds of being an active bystander:
Am I a bully?
This is a hard question to answer in a document like this. Do you notice people are upset around you frequently? Have you teased someone even when it seemed like they aren’t in on the joke? Have you left people out on purpose? Any of these links might give you a clearer idea. If you think you might be a bully, you can talk to your parents, teachers, school counselors, and other trusted adults. They can help you think through the situation.
ELA
I think I am being bullied– what do I do?
It’s hard to know what to do to stop a bullying issue. There are some solutions here, including telling a trusted adult, walking away, and standing up for yourself. Do Something has ideas for actions to take with friends to stop bullying before it even begins. Adults can find resources here and here.
One of the ways that we emphasize the voices of young people throughout the creation and now the ongoing updating and revising of The Bullying Project is collaborative discussions. In alignment with Indiana state standards, we encourage educators to do the same with their students. Below are some questions grounded in the English/Language Arts state standards in order to encourage students to consider the content and efficacy of the play. These questions can be used to begin a discussion with students after seeing the play.
Content: What are the main ideas and themes of the play? What details of the story show those main ideas and themes?
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.
Efficacy: What are the goals of the play? Was it effective or ineffective in reaching those goals? What made it effective or ineffective?
By answering questions about the content of the play, students will be able to:
4, ELA, 4.RC.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what a text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
4, ELA, 4.RC.2
Paraphrase or summarize the main events in a story, myth, legend, or novel; identify the theme and provide evidence for the interpretation.
4, ELA, 4.RC.3
Describe a character, setting, or event in a story or play, drawing on specific details in the text, and how that impacts the plot.
4, ELA, 4.RC.5
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
5, ELA, 5.RC.2
Determine the theme of a story, play, or poem from details in the text, including how characters respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
5, ELA, 5.RC.3
Analyze the development of a central idea over the course of a text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide a detailed, objective summary of the text.
5, ELA, 5.RC.6
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
6, ELA, 6.RC.2
Determine how a theme or central idea of a work of literature is conveyed through particular details; provide a detailed, objective summary of the text.
6, ELA, 6.CC.3
Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
By answering questions about the efficacy of the play, students will be able to:
4, ELA, 4.RC.8
Distinguish between fact and opinion; explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support a statement or position (claim) in a text.
4, ELA, 4.CC.7
Recognize claims in print, image, and multimedia and identify evidence used to support these claims.
5, ELA, 5.RC.9
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support claims in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which claims.
5, ELA, 5.CC.6
Review claims made in various types of media and evaluate evidence used to support these claims.
6, ELA, 6.RC.7
Determine an author’s perspective or purpose in a text, and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
By having a discussion, students will be able to:
4, ELA, 4.CC.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.
4, ELA, 4.CC.2
Determine an author’s perspective or purpose in a text, and analyze how the author distinguishes their position from the positions of others.
5, ELA, 5.CC.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.
5, ELA, 5.CC.2
Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
6, ELA, 6.CC.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade appropriate topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.
6, ELA, 6.CC.2
Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
6, ELA, 6.CC.3
Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
6, ELA, 6.CC.4
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
By seeing a play and participating in a subsequent discussion, students will be able to:
4, ELA, 4.CC.3
Summarize major ideas and supportive evidence from text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
5, ELA, 5.CC.3
Orally summarize or respond to a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
6, ELA, 6.RC.9
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, verbally) to demonstrate a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
6, ELA, 6.CC.4
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
This show has existed in many different versions over the years. The first version of it was created 12 years ago and we’re always changing parts of it. The show is a little different every time we perform it.
Students like you! The cast of The Bullying Project is made up of over a dozen high school students that live in the Indianapolis area, though only 3 actors perform at a time.
We use a process called devising to build all of our plays, which means that we work together as an ensemble of actors, directors, playwrights, and designers, to create a story about a topic that we all think is important. The actors created characters, and we explored them and the story together using improvisation exercises and lots of brainstorming.
Get involved at React! If acting (or working behind the scenes) is something you’re interested in, we have classes for K-12th grade students all year long. Visit reactclasses.org to learn more!
We know that bullying is an issue that affects many people, so it takes many different approaches to deal with the problem. Theatre is just one of them. Plays help us see things from other people’s perspectives and build empathy for them. By understanding different points of view in a bullying situation, we can avoid the problem in our own lives.
In the play, Noa, Devin, and Jules are doing a project on bullying because of the novel they’ve been reading in class. There are many, many books about bullying. Here are some of our favorites and recommendations from our students!
List of Resources
Anti-Bullying Alliance: Our Definition of Bullying
Kids Against Bullying: What is bullying?
Kidscape: What if I see someone being bullied?
Don't Do Nothing: Active Bystander Campaign
AAJC: 5Ds of Bystander Intervention
The Conversation: Are you a bully without even knowing it? Here's how to tell. (Intended for adults.)
Stomp Out Bullying: Are you a bully?
Kids Against Bullying: Do you bully?
Stopbullying.gov: What kids can do
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Bullying Resource Center (Intended for adults.)
Anti-Bullying Alliance: Advice for Parents and Carers (Intended for adults.)