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Event
Higher Ground
A controversial play that takes on bullying in middle school will be performed Friday & Saturday, May 11 & 12 at 7:00pm at Westports Bedford Middle School Auditorium. Called Higher Ground, the production addresses the often painful middle school life where students live under a magnifying glass, with every word and action subject to examination and judgment by their peers.
The play takes a frank look at school bullying, touching on issues such as body image, race and sexuality. Characters are taunted for various reasons throughout the play, before banding together and learning to stand up to it in the end.
The central character in "Higher Ground" is a boy who is teased, harassed & assaulted after he shrugs off a misunderstanding about whether he is straight or gay. (The play includes no profanity. Neither does it include the words "gay," "homosexual" or slurs for them.)
The play goes on to show how other students in the school are bullied because they are overweight, Latina, in special education, tagged as "Goth," a high-achiever or have a dad in prison. One character Sid, who is overweight is told by another student: "Cow, I don't care for your sarcastic tone! You could clothe a village with those gym shorts. ..."
Higher Ground was written in 2008 by then middle school teacher Jennie Brown in Sherwood, Ore. The principal of Brown's school, where it was to be performed, deemed the play "too mature" and ordered it rewritten, but the student performers, determined that it showed life in middle school how it really is, refused to perform if the play was censored. The show was canceled at the school, but the community rose up in support, and "Higher Ground" opened to great success at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts for three sold-out performances.
In 2010, Karen McCormick, Westport theater teacher, found the script online and with the full support of Bedford Middle Schools administration, presented the play to rave reviews. The author, Jennie Brown, has updated the play to reflect the current technological/social media environment, but the message remains the same.
Performances, open to the public, will be held Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the Bedford Middle School auditorium. Reserved tickets $15 for adults and $10 for students & seniors. General Admission seats are $10 and are available at the door.
Because of the mature themes of the material, it is not recommended for children under 8 years.
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LocationBedford Middle School (View)
88 North Avenue
Westport, CT 06880
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 8 |
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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