WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Teens' Play Brings Anti-Bullying Message To Capital Fringe

By: Jessica Palombo // July 22, 2011
Play associated audio
comments
Kathya Bello, Josie Guevara-Torres, and Kenrry Alvarado are three of the seven students who will perform in "Out of the Shadow," written by 17 high-school students during after-school workshops at the Young Playwrights' Theater.
Jessica Palombo
Kathya Bello, Josie Guevara-Torres, and Kenrry Alvarado are three of the seven students who will perform in "Out of the Shadow," written by 17 high-school students during after-school workshops at the Young Playwrights' Theater.

In a grand mansion in Northwest D.C., six high-school students are rehearsing at the nonprofit Young Playwrights' Theater. It's just a couple days until their debut at the Capital Fringe Festival.

Their show, "Out of the Shadow," explores the effects of bullying, from low self-esteem to teen suicide. Alima Shaw, a rising senior at Bell Multicultural High School, is working on the show, and she says she was bullied.

"If there's someone around and they're just a bystander and not doing anything," Shaw says, "you need to say, 'Hey, can't you see I'm being bullied?'"

Shaw and 16 other student writers collaborated to bring their insights and emotions to life.

Nicole Jost directed the show. "I was surprised by the students' bravery to talk about issues that are close to their hearts and very emotional," Jost says.

"Out of the Shadow" plays one performance only, tomorrow at noon at Fort Fringe on New York Avenue.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.

Politics

NPR

Lois Lerner's Brief And Awful Day On Capitol Hill

The IRS bureaucrat showed up long enough at a House hearing into the scandal engulfing her agency to declare her innocence and her constitutional right to say no more.

Technology

NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.