Playback and School Bullying
Bullying is an urgent issue in schools all over the world. In 1999 Hudson River Playback Theatre (HRPT) in upstate New York began using Playback to address bullying, at the invitation of a middle school principal. It soon became clear that kids were empowered by telling and watching stories—especially by experiencing in action what they can do as witnesses.
Now, 14 years later, HRPT has used their highly developed program with over 30,000 children. And several other Playback companies are also using this approach in their own communities, including Big Apple Playback Theatre, working in the New York City area (they’ve renamed the program “Keep the Peace”); Playback Memphis (“Be the Peace”); Synergy Playback in Washington DC; and Promito Playback in Montreal. As well as performances, No More Bullying! includes a leadership program where middle and high school students learn Playback and then perform alongside adult actors for other students.
A ninth grader who took part in a NMB Leadership program said: “When I was the one telling a story, I could see things for what they were–better than trying to think back about it. It shows you what you could have done better, or what more could have been done, by seeing it in action.”
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