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This week has been saddened by, yet, several more youth suicides due to bullying.
Regardless the struggling youth’s issues, we adults – parents, teachers, neighbors, coaches, directors, youth leaders, etc. – need to take the lead in this universal epidemic to help our youth.
We cannot afford to stand by, waiting for the guy next to us to act; each of us must act, and act NOW to prevent this from happening again.
We cannot afford to wait for the symptoms to present themselves to us; we must try to be ahead of the symptoms.
I have raised teenagers, and taught and directed countless teens, and I am always like a blood hound when it comes to watching for any hints of teen depression, or overwhelming life issues . One year, I noticed a dozen students with what I believed to be teen depression. I contacted their parents and presented my observations, and documentation. Eleven out of the twelve were diagnosed with depression.
This rash of bullying-induced suicides is becoming alarming. Too alarming.
Tonight, my son and I discussed the different levels of bullying. As we chatted, I was startled to realize the varying degrees of bullying. It is all around us, and in areas I had never even considered.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper has really been pounding away at Michigan’s assistant attorney general who is bullying a student at the University of Michigan!
How insane is this?
The state’s assistant attorney general is bullying a college student right before our eyes, and yet our officials all sit back watching, and waiting for unfolding events! I feel like we are all glued to our televisions watching a white Bronco move along a California free-way!
Right now, I just heard Dr. Phil, in an interview, say, “It is tough on the students who are bullied who don’t have sports or music…” I have to chuckle, and disagree with Dr. Phil as there is bullying everywhere – even in sports, and music! I know of a section leader who is a terrible bully in band; one student is in sports and has related different stories about some bullying against a teammate in soccer; and there is even a music teacher who has a long track record of bullying students.
Sadly, the bullies are not just in the lives of the young. Many of us adults deal with bullies in our personal lives, and careers. I, myself, have endured bullying, and harassment by a colleague for several years. I know of several other adults who have had issues with colleagues bullying them in the workplace.
Domestic abuse falls under many of the same criteria – it all goes back to control, and domination.
Right now, we are trapped in election fever with a month remaining. We see bullying in various media advertisements, interviews, debates, etc.. We are told what unpleasant things will happen to us if we do not vote the way the politician directs.
Why do we always fall prey to threats during campaigns? Aren’t the voters the ones who are to be in charge? Yet, somehow, we have allowed our leaders to be the tail that wags us.
Bullying is another form of terrorism. Terrorists instill fear, desiring to wear down our strength, and courage. And this is exactly what a bully does – attempts, and often succeeds, in wearing down the individual they deem weaker. It is is much like “raping the soul, or spirit” as it is nothing but control, and domination.
How do we help our children to conquer these bullies?
How do we protect our children from these bullies?
How do we, ourselves, deal with adult bullies?
No one should be bullied.
No one should allow another person to control, or dominate over them, nor feel threatened by another person.
No one should live under the haunting shadows of fear.
I wish I had answers…
I do, however, have hope, and confidence that these young folks – and thousands more before them – who were hounded by cruel individuals, have not died in vain. I pray their lives are memorialized, serving as a rallying cry for all of us to ban against bullies… terrorists!
I found a great article in The Dayton Paper that lists all the upcoming shows but they were listed under the various companies. I made up a list of shows by their dates.
Keep in mind that I only entered the starting date for some productions, and there may be more performances.
For more information, please visit the following websites for each individual theatre company. Remember that many of the companies listed below can also be located on Facebook and Twitter.
Centerville High School Theatre
Sinclair Community College Theatre
Don’t forget to support the various Children’s Theatre programs in the area, as well.
For outstanding high school theatre productions, be sure to check out Centerville High School’s theatre program – one of the finest student production companies in Ohio!
| 09/08/2010 | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | LaComedia |
| 09/17/2010 | The Spitfire Grill | Beavercreek Community Theatre |
| 09/23/2010 | August: Osage County | Wright State University & Human Race Theatre Company |
| 09/28/2010 | Blue Man Group | Victoria Theatre Association |
| 09/30/2010 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Cedarville University |
| 10/02/2010 | Forever Plaid | Springfield Arts Council |
| 10/08/2010 | Die Mommie Die! | Dayton Playhouse |
| 10/15/2010 | Once On This Island | Sinclair Community College |
| 10/15/2010 | Moon Over Buffalo | Playhouse South |
| 10/21/2010 | The 39 Steps | Human Race Theatre Company |
| 10/22/2010 | The Diviners | University of Dayton |
| 10/22/2010 | The Sugar Witch | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 10/28/2010 | Anything Goes | Wright State University |
| 11/02/2010 | Spring Awakening | Victoria Theatre Association |
| 11/04/2010 | White Christmas | LaComedia |
| 11/05/2010 | Grey Gardens The Musical | Seed Threatre Project |
| 11/10/2010 | Drumline Live | Victoria Theatre Association |
| 11/12/2010 | All Shook Up | Centerville High School |
| 11/12/2010 | Wit | Dayton Playhouse |
| 11/12/2010 | Dark Lights of Broadway | Playhouse South |
| 11/13/2010 | An Evening With Sutton Foster | Springfield Arts Council |
| 11/26/2010 | Precious Heart | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 12/02/2010 | 8-Track Sounds of the 70’s | Human Race Theatre Company |
| 12/03/2010 | A Christmas Carol | Beavercreek Community Theatre |
| 12/07/2010 | The Wonder Bread Years | Victoria Theatre Association |
| 12/17/2010 | Christmas Belles | Dayton Playhouse |
| 01/07/2011 | Ravenscroft | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 01/20/2011 | Jeckyll & Hyde | Wright State University |
| 01/21/2011 | Betty Buckley’s Broadway | Springfield Arts Council |
| 01/21/2011 | I Hate Hamlet | Playhouse South |
| 01/27/2011 | Diary Of Anne Frank | Centerville High School |
| 01/27/2011 | Twelfth Night | Human Race Theatre Company |
| 01/28/2011 | The Octette Bridge Club | Beavercreek Community Theatre |
| 01/28/2011 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | Dayton Playhouse |
| 02/01/2011 | 9 to 5: The Musical | Victoria Theatre Association |
| 02/02/2011 | Fiddler On The Roof | Springfield Arts Council |
| 02/04/2011 | True West | University of Dayton |
| 02/10/2011 | The Last 5 Years | Springfield Stageworks |
| 02/11/2011 | Fat Pig | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 02/11/2011 | Almost, Maine | Seed Threatre Project |
| 02/17/2011 | Picnic | Wright State University |
| 02/18/2011 | The Foreigner | Sinclair Community College |
| 03/03/2011 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | LaComedia |
| 03/04/2011 | The Wizard of Oz | Springfield Arts Council |
| 03/04/2011 | Little Women | Wright State University |
| 03/04/2011 | Golda’s Balcony | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 03/11/2011 | Mid-Life The Crisis Musical | Beavercreek Community Theatre |
| 03/11/2011 | Beyond Therapy | Dayton Playhouse |
| 03/25/2011 | Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Playhouse South |
| 03/28/2011 | The Drowsy Chaperone | Victoria Theatre Association |
| 04/01/2011 | Smoke On The Mountain | University of Dayton |
| 04/01/2011 | Bill W. & Dr. Bob | Dayton Playhouse |
| 04/01/2011 | The Boys Next Door | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 04/05/2011 | All Shook Up | Victoria Theatre |
| 04/14/2011 | Permanent Collection | Human Race Theatre Company |
| 04/15/2011 | An Enemy of the People | Seed Threatre Project |
| 04/21/2011 | Titus Andronicus | Springfield Stageworks |
| 04/22/2011 | Blackbird | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 04/28/2011 | Hairspray | LaComedia |
| 04/29/2011 | Hello, Dolly! | Centerville High School |
| 05/06/2011 | A Piece of Heart | Playhouse South |
| 05/12/2011 | 42nd Street | Wright State University |
| 05/13/2011 | The Women of Lockerbie | Sinclair Community College |
| 05/13/2011 | La Cage aux Folles | Dayton Playhouse |
| 05/13/2011 | Mauritius | Dayton Theatre Guild |
| 05/19/2011 | Monty Python’s Spamalot | Springfield Arts Council |
| 05/26/2011 | right next to me | Human Race Theatre Company |
| 06/03/2011 | Barnaby Rudge | Wright State University |
| 06/10/2011 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | Beavercreek Community Theatre |
| 06/10/2011 | Anyone Can Whistle | Seed Threatre Project |
| 06/14/2011 | Disney’s The Lion King | Victoria Theatre Association |
1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.. .again.
13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
15. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
16. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.
17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
18. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?
19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
21. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!
24. The first testicular guard, the “Cup,” was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.
Ladies…..Quit Laughing.
The Play-Wright Flyer Guy 