'Powerful' Performance Shines Spotlight on 'Irreversible Effects' of Bullying

The auditorium was silent this morning as sophomore students watched a powerful . 

With the new in effect, two high school acting classes presented "Bang, Bang, You’re Dead" to each grade level to bring awareness to the issue.

“You’re going to see something that doesn’t involve electronics. It involves a human element,” Principal William Zylinski told the students before the play began. “The best theater brings social change. It shows the good and bad in human nature.”

The one-act play, which was written by William Mastrosimone in 1999, raises awareness of school violence and its causes. It is largely based on the true story of Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old who murdered his parents, two classmates and wounded 22 others in May 1998.

Mastrosimone was inspired to write the drama after hearing a story of a 10-year-old who brought a knife to school, high school drama director Brian Stike said.

Most have experienced bullying in some shape or form, Zylinski said. The purpose of the play was to reflect the “irreversible effects” of bullying.

"Bang, Bang, You’re Dead" opens in the jail cell of Josh, a student who has killed his parents and five classmates after being continually taunted in school. The ghosts of his former classmates, who demand to know why he killed them, haunt Josh.

Throughout the play, the ghosts recite the following to describe Josh’s response to his struggle:

So you make your face a mask.
A mask that hides your face.
A face that hides the pain.
A pain that eats your heart.
A heart nobody knows.

As Josh contemplates murder, the actors list the locations of school shootings.

The play concludes with a monologue from Josh, who realizes and regrets his decision.

Many students agreed that the play was "powerful."

“People don’t really know how others feel when they get bullied,” student Matthew McGovern said.

Nicole Tamburro called the play deep. "I think it reached everyone and everyone took it seriously,” she said.

Stike conducted a “talk-back session” after to discuss what got Josh to that point and what could have been done to prevent the unfortunate outcome.

“Bullying isn’t something that passes,” Stike said. “You remember being bullied your whole life.”

According to Stike, one in seven kids in America experience bullying on a daily basis. That makes 2.7 million children, he said.

“That’s not acceptable. That’s not a good thing,” Stike said.

Stike, Zylinski and other teachers reflected on their experiences being bullied growing up, he said.

“There are three effects of bullying: physical, emotional and mental,” Stike said. “The emotional and mental, those leave the scars.”

Stike encouraged the students to talk to their parents, teachers and friends. One point Josh made in the play is that no one notices the bullying.

“That’s not true. All of you see it every day,” Stike said. “You’re job is to prevent it. It’s certainly possible to stop it… Change the way this school operates.”

Following the showing of "Bang, Bang, You’re Dead," Stike, Zylinski and guidance counselors will be available after school to any student who needs to talk.

The showings of "Bang, Bang, You’re Dead" are taking place nearly one year after the The bill was produced in the wake of multiple suicides across the country believed to be  

in suicide prevention, harassment, intimidation, and bullying; appoint a school liaison to law enforcement; establish bullying prevention programs; respond to actions that occur off school grounds; form a school safety team; and appoint anti-bullying specialists and coordinators.

After the bill was enforced, Zylinski approached Drama Club Director Brian Stike to put on a play for students by students to demonstrate the impact of bullying, he said. Stike introduced “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead” as a play that he has used in the past as a teaching tool to examine the irreversible effects of bullying.

Another showing will take place for the public this evening at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Admission is free. Mastrosimone is expected to attend and facilitate in a discussion after the performance.