Grades K-5 The issues: Bully Prevention Strategies
Synopsis
This is the story of Belinda, an elementary school student who meets a superhero that teaches her four ways to deal with bullies.
Scene One: Belinda is dreaming that she is being tormented by bullies. She
wakes up to discover that she is still safe at home but late for school. Her father tries to encourage her but to no avail. After he leaves, Belinda shares with the audience how she wishes a superhero would come and save her from her bullies. Super Basherman swoops into her bedroom and announces that he is here to bash baddies, but not in the way Belinda expects. He says there are other ways of dealing with bullies. Belinda agrees and they are off to catch the bus.
Scene Two: There we meet Butch and his bullying friends, awkward Bobby and a superficial Brittany. Belinda gets on the bus and encourages Super Basherman to do his thing. We then learn that Super Basherman is only visible to Belinda and he does not really “bash” – he teaches. His first lesson for Belinda is “Be Confident”. Belinda learns that showing confidence by standing up tall with her head held high will keep the Bullies from identifying her as an easy target.
Scene Three: Pleased with her success on the bus Belinda goes to lunch. The Bullies enter while Basher is away. Irritated by their failure to make Belinda cry on the bus they torment her all through lunch and put a trash can on her head. Basherman finds her this way and introduces his next plan: “Make a Joke”. “Use humor to lighten the situation and disarm the bullies.” During recess Belinda has great success with this strategy.
Scene Four: It is now after school, Belinda is happy with the progress for today. She wants to avoid any future contact with Butch and she proposes they walk home. Super Basherman has other ideas. He wants Belinda to ride the bus home to try out his next strategy: “Be a Friend”. “Bullies are people too and sometimes it doesn’t hurt to try making friends with them.” On the bus ride home Belinda engages Butch in conversation. They talk about football, art projects, and Butch’s plans for the weekend with his dad.
Scene Five: After the weekend the students return to school with art projects. Belinda, Bobby, and Brittany soon learn that Butch’s dad never showed for their weekend plans and Butch is very angry. He destroys everyone’s art project and pushes Belinda to the ground, hurting her arm. Though Belinda has been reluctant, this incident causes her to realize that its time to “Tell an Adult”.
Scene Six: With the help of her dad, the art teacher, the principal, and the audience, Belinda sings a song about the bullying that Butch did to her and what she should have done about it. Her dad affirms her that she did the right thing. Because of the school’s no tolerance policy, Butch has been suspended.
Scene Seven: Two weeks later, Butch has returned from his suspension less aggressive than before. He finds that Belinda has become friends with Brittany and Bobby and that he can no longer intimidate them. In fact it is just the opposite. Belinda is over-eager to get back at Butch for all the things that he did to her. Super Basherman arrives on the scene, not to bash Butch but to protect him from Belinda. With the help of the audience, Belinda realizes that she has become a bully. Basherman tells Belinda that his work is done here but he knows of other students that need help. He encourages Belinda to share what she has learned with others.
| Saltworks Theatre Company 569 N. Neville St. Pittsburgh , PA 15213-2812 Phone: 412.621.6150 Fax: 412.621.6010 E-mail: nalrutz@saltworks.org |
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