The Atlanta Workshop Players present spectacular traveling productions!

The company produces original musicals, book shows, and musical revues that are performed in hundreds of schools, resorts, and for special events. The exciting performers have extensive experience in professional TV / Film and Theatre. The shows are designed to appeal to all ages, and send positive social, environmental, and educational messages. The presentations are packaged in a exuberant performance vehicle that enlightens, entertains, educates, and inspires the audience. The side effects are laughter and an expanded mind!

written by Don & Lynn Stallings, with music & lyrics by Erik Grant Bennett

MASQUERADE is a dynamic, contemporary musical that deals with the important subject of bullying.  It advocates nonviolent conflict resolution and has been a catalyst for in-depth discussions within the schools

SYNOPSIS:

The story line involves two siblings who move to a new school in the middle of the year.  They try desperately to find a place to fit in.  They meet kids in several school ‘cliques’:  The popular/diva-girls,  the ‘artsy’ kids, the intellectuals and the school bully.   There are many incidents of teasing and put-downs from the diva-girls.  The bully intimidates the intellectuals and physically and verbally humiliates the school reporter, KC.  The new kid, Jamie comes to KC’s defense so the bully challenges him to a fight after school.  Jamie is a black-belt in karate and can certainly protect himself in a fight, but feels it is his duty to avoid fighting at all costs.  He tries to end the fight before it starts. The bully attacks Jamie anyway and is restrained.  They come to a meeting of the minds and the bully finds greater understanding and shows regret for his actions.  The story is not over yet.  KC has felt helpless for many years, enduring being pushed around and humiliated over and over again.  KC was hoping that the bully would get beaten up in the fight.....to ‘teach him a lesson’.  But that didn’t happen.  The fight was stopped.  KC snaps and tries to turn the tables on the bully himself.  The ending is powerful and sobering.  The final scene takes the audience back to several incidents of bullying and offers alternative choices that could have led to a better outcome. 

STUDY GUIDE:

Bullying comes in many forms.  “Masquerade” addresses physical bullying and verbal bullying in the form of ‘put-downs’, intimidation, teasing, exclusion and public humiliation.   The vast majority of students are victims of bullying to some degree, at some point during their education.  We are all witnesses to bullying.  Sometimes the bullying is simply annoying, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes dangerous.  Bullying is a fact of life, but we do have the power to do something about it. 

The following is a list of suggestions from Middle School students determined to stop bullying in their own school.

When you see bullying:

1. Tell somebody.  Even anonymously.
2. Go to an adult.  Go to multiple adults to report the bullying.
3. Decline to listen to gossip and insults about others.
4. Speak up and say it’s not cool and walk away.
5. Offer support and encouragement to bully victim.  Suggest they talk to someone.
6. Don’t hang out with people who put others down.
7. Make sure you are not a bully yourself.  Look at things from the other person’s perspective.

When you are bullied:

1. Firmly tell the bully to stop.  It’s not cool.
2. Tell an adult or multiple adults.  Go to the school counselor.
3. Tell your parents.
4. Know that you don’t deserve to be treated that way.
5. Hang out in groups of people who are supportive.  They may be hard to find sometimes.....but they are there and they are worth the search.
6. Avoid being alone near the bully.
7. Try creative ways to stop the bullying.  Try humor.  Try befriending the bully.  Try being thoughtful and kind.  Most bullies are insecure and do not like themselves very much.  Most are unhappy.  They usually just want and need attention.  So, find ways to give them attention for the good things that they do.  It’s harder to be mean to someone who is being genuinely nice to you.