Surviving Bullies Project Blog
Friday, January 26, 2007
To Be or Not To Be A Wannabee
esterday was a success! Dickon, Shan Shan and I presented in front of Staples High School in Westport CT to the Gay Straight Alliance as well as the principal, dean, and a few other faculty. The kids didn’t blink and I felt everyone in the room was moved by the presentation. Many were interested in being interviewed to help transform the Surviving Bullying Workbook into an electronic version. The principal enjoyed the presentation so much in an email he told me he has already spoken to the head of curriculum in Westport about the project and both are very interested. This is great news!
I watched more of Dickon & Shan Shan’s footage today from their production, ”Hear My Laughter, Hear My Cry.” I jotted some notes down as I watched, just some questions or points that moved me:
How does it feel to be different?
Ingrid, the director, introduced the show and made it clear to the audience how sensitive this topic is by describing the actors as naked and vulnerable for even though they may wear a costume, have a new name and role these stories are true and often painful. This exposition really set the mood for me because i couldn’t help but admire these kids for getting up on stage in front of their peers and revealing such painful memories. The acting could not have been difficult when these kids have evidently BEEN there. In one monologue a girl described how she sat in the front row because the popular kids basically owned the back. The final line was, “Maybe one day I will get to sit in the back row.”
This reminded me of middle school. How did the popular kids get to own areas? The girls in my grade even had bracelets that were “theirs.” If anyone else wore them, which happened a lot since they were trendy bracelets, these girls were WANNABEES. In the cafeteria these popular kids had tables that only their group could sit at. Sometimes they would be so kind to invite people they felt sorry for OR felt deserving to sit with them. I remember calling them out on it once. All my memories are of me being right on the line of in the group and out. But I didn’t want to be them. In retrospect, I didn’t think it was right that these kids could own bracelets or areas and I ignored the rules and boundaries. As a result I think they thought I was a wannabee. Sometimes I think they convinced me that was all I was, but I don’t think that was it. I’m not really sure because when you are told something so much it gets confusing.
In another sketch a girl questioned whether it was better to talk behind someones back or to their face. I think that is a great question that I struggle with even today. At what point are you being too confrontational? My friends always talk about each other but I think we get along well. This actress, this 9th grader’s question was very powerful, “Would you rather someone talk behind your back or to your face?”
- Jocelyn Eve Schur
Posted by Dickon on 01/26/07 at 04:14 PM
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Just felt that I had to comment. It’s these little things that I sometimes forget happened in school even though it hasn’t been that long since I was there.
You and these actors/actresses are completely right. Owning things, others being wannabees etc. My friend and I would listen to songs that encouraged being yourself and not being a ‘clone.’ Then suddenly those songs became popular. One day, I was caught listening to one by a ‘popular’ person and I was told that I wasn’t ‘cool enough to be listening to that.’ Then there was straight hair. I, who had wavy hair, was told constantly to get straighteners. When I did get my hair straightened once for my own pleasure, everyone thought I was trying to fit in with the cool group! Ah, the irony.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I stumbled across this site as I was searching for something. :)
Posted by Rosie from Scotland on 01/28/07 at 07:42 PM
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Posted by wnfdvypf from cctczpgb, qcydqifn on 08/24/07 at 10:03 PM
Hello! My name is Cassie, and I was an actor in Hear Your Laughter, Hear My Cry and I must say that you are absolutely correct in your statements. Being that we all had had prior deep experiences of Bullying, and even though the stories in the film and play were all fictitious, we had an easy time adjusting our feelings of torment and angst to fit our created characters’ lives and issues. Being that our stories had left such huge impressions on each of us, we were able to accomplish this. Also, hearing awful stories from our close friends that we really thought we knew had a major role in our respect and nderstanding for all bullying stories. There were a lot of tears shed, and a lot of weights lifted off of each of those those few months. It was a truly lovely experience.
Have a brilliant day! :D
Posted by from Connecticut on 03/19/08 at 05:18 PM