501(c)(3) nonprofit and student-led assembly provider Act Like You Matter releases their most in demand program as a script, so students across the world can benefit from this empowering program without a big assembly. Whether read aloud in class – virtual or traditional – or performed for small, socially-distanced audiences, the play teaches life skills to help students build resilience and manage encounters with anyone who mistreats them (or anyone else!)
San Diego based Act Like You Matter, Inc. is thrilled to announce the availability of Baffle Away Bullying! Interactive Stage Play for K-3rd for both performance licensing and classroom reading licensing. K-12 schools in the US and abroad may purchase licenses directly from Act Like You Matter’s website; all other entities may apply for licenses on the website. Scripts and licenses are delivered virtually in PDF format via email.
Up until now, Baffle Away Bullying! has been available only as an assembly delivered by youth actors 12-20 from Theatre of Peace (a division of Act Like You Matter “ALYM”) on-site at schools in Southern California, predominantly San Diego County and Los Angeles County; 8 San Diego County schools have brought the program to their campus. The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear to ALYM Founder and President Amy Jones Anichini that the company needed to deliver its strategies for managing encounters with rude, mean, or bullying behaviors in new ways.
Theatre of Peace performing “Baffle Away Bullying! Interactive Stage Play for K-3rd” at a San Diego school
“In this age of uncertainty about how social distancing will impact schools and theaters, it’s crucial for those who create empowering programs to deliver their messages in new ways, so that students can still benefit from the SEL skills the programs are designed to help build,” said Anichini. “Just because we’ve historically presented Baffle Away Bullying! live and in front of audiences of 200-300 doesn’t mean it has to continue to be delivered in just that one way. Our mission is first and foremost to empower children and teens to find their voice and change the way their generation treats each other. By putting the Baffle Away Bullying! script in the hands of schools, we give teachers the ability to read it in their classrooms and the opportunity to direct older students and have them perform it for small audiences of younger students in accordance with each school’s social distancing guidelines. Either way, students still benefit from the tools and strategies we teach: win, win!”
Teachers can read Baffle Away Bullying! to or with their students for as little as $9.95 plus $0.50 per student. After a K-12 school purchases their first Classroom Reading License, ALYM will email a link to purchase licenses for additional classrooms at a 10% discount for the entire academic year.
Teacher with Classroom Reading License. Photo credit: National Center for Teacher Residencies.
Performance Licensing is also available for this 35 minute dramedy. K-12 schools can purchase licenses to perform this play for as little as $149.50, including royalties for one performance for an audience and a license to copy the script as many times as need for cast, crew, director, and production team. Licenses for additional performances may be purchased for $50 each from Act Like You Matter’s website. Entities other than K-12 schools (such as a youth theatre, college theatre, community theatre, professional theatre, or other type of business) are encouraged to apply for a license at actlikeyoumatter.org to receive a price quote.
K-12 Schools: Click this link to purchase Classroom Reading Licenses or Performance Licenses
About the Play
Has anyone ever been mean to you? Laughed at you? Excluded you? Well, you’re not alone, and there’s a lot you can do about it! Meet Scarlett, Brandon, and Caroline. These clever 3rd graders discovered something empowering: if you turn your encounters with kids who bully – or are otherwise mean or rude – into a game, they’ll decide for themselves to leave you alone. Now, Scarlett, Brandon, and Caroline want to teach you how to play the game of Baffle Away Bullying! – 3 simple steps to follow anytime someone mistreats you (or anyone else!) But, will their strategies be compelling enough to get Robert, one of the toughest kids in class, to realize he can change his behavior? There’s only one way to find out!
Baffle Away Bullying characters Caroline, Scarlett, and Brandon with posters of the 3 Step Strategy
This 35 minute dramedy can be read in a class of any size or performed with a cast as small as 9 (5 female, 3 male, and 1 any), simple classroom set, and simple costumes.
Read full synopsis, see show photos, and meet the characters
This article originally appeared on PRLog