Bully
(12 – 18 yrs)
All Year
A gripping performance by Lee Kaplan (US)
STET Education is proud to have this unique, autobiographically inspired performance about bullying in our permanent offers. Bully has had major US newspaper reviews with a performance history of over 80 times in the US, Canada and now in The Netherlands, since Lee Kaplan (writer, performer and creator of Bully) has relocated here with his family.
This show opens up the subject of bullying like no other. It is raw and and it is real as it exposes the helplessness, shame and desperation that bullied young people can suffer during school years. Lee wrote the show based on his ACTUAL sixth-grade journal. The characters and the events are based on true experiences. Lee returns to the scene of the crime, calling to the ring those who subjected him to unrelenting bullying attacks. It is the fight of his life: a story about finding the will and a way to finally stand up to the bullies.
Information
| COST | €1,500 + 9% VAT + local travel costs / performance – negotiable, discounts for more than one show a day. |
| DATE | School year 2023 – 2024 and 2024-2025 |
| RUNNING TIME | 1 hour (no interval) + Q&A |
| VENUE | your school or a location you provide |
| AGE RANGE | 10+ (recommended for 12-18 years) |
| AUDIENCE MEMBERS | no max. limitation |
| LANGUAGE | English (Lee Kaplan is from the US) |
| REQUEST A WORKSHOP | The activity plan will be tailored to the age of your students. Max. 15 students per group |
Meet your performer & workshop leader
Lee Kaplan is the writer, producer and performer of Bully, a solo theater play about his experiences being bullied during his childhood. Well-reviewed in The New York Times and Washington Post, the play has now been seen by thousands of students and adults in schools and theaters across the United States and Canada and recently made its European debut in the Netherlands. Lee is also a voiceover artist and has been featured in television and radio commercial campaigns for Baskin Robbins and Nissan, among other global brands. As an actor, Lee has appeared on television and in short films and webseries. Lee moved from Brooklyn, New York to the Netherlands in 2020 and now lives in Utrecht with his wife, Sofie, her two children and their cat, Franky.
More about what your students will experience
The basic premise is to share the author’s experiences as a boy. In that way he hopes to help even one child come to terms with the position, where he/she or someone else is being bullied. By embodying different characters and using his skills as a voice performer, he transforms the monologue into a scene with many characters, who the students can recognize. Students will be in awe of Lee. He is strong, witty and emotional at the same time. The show is funny and students will laugh as they follow this fast-paced comedy.
The purpose of the Performance
The subject of bullying is so devastatingly real for some young people and so much hope and so many coping strategies are mentioned in the play, that we believe it can truly help some of our young victims who are quietly suffering today. Raising awareness within a safe environment can be the first step to understanding and change. Also, realising that witnessing bullying and not doing anything about it is taking a side (and it’s not the victim’s).
Dive deeper: book the Workshop
Dive deeper into the themes of bullying, character and dignity. During the accompanying workshops, students further reflect on similar experiences in their school, their neighbourhood and their personal experiences. They engage in thoughtful activities that will build their individual and collective ability to strengthen their school community’s effort to eliminate bullying! They learn communication, empathy and coping skills and develop resourcefulness. The workshop is tailor-made to your group.
Get in touch for pricing and more details.
Reviews
“Unassailable messages sugarcoated with ounces of sweat, pounds of goofy humor and tons of heart.”
Eric Grode
The New York Times
“Bully is devastating and should be required viewing”
Stephanie Merry
The Washington Post
“Lee’s will to find meaning and purpose from the pain of his youth seems to have worked. Bully is already resonating with its public in a huge way.”
Dr. Robi Ludwig
The Huffington Post
“As a teacher I’ve seen a lot of shows around the topic of bullying yet this one does truly stand apart. The courage of being wholly himself and sharing his own personal experiences with nothing to help him but a few props and some slides is very moving. My students were riveted and although they were hesitant at first, they were keen to learn more about Lee during the Q&A. It’s absolutely one of the best shows I’ve ever booked and I hope that Lee will be back every year to share his experiences with generations of students to come.”
English teacher and TTO coordinator at IS Almere
“Op 24 januari 2023 hadden wij de eer om de allereerste school in Nederland te zijn waar Lee Kaplan zijn voorstelling The Bully speelde. Tachtig brugklassers die tweetalig onderwijs volgen zaten een uur lang geconcentreerd te kijken naar de show in ons groot theater. Zij waren volledig geboeid door deze Amerikaanse meneer die vertelde over zijn pestkoppen en hoe hij met ze heeft afgerekend, zodat hij zelf verder kon. De leerlingen moesten soms lachen, raakten ontroerd en ondanks het hoge niveau van het Engels en het feit dat ze niet allemaal alles begrepen, werden er na afloop vragen gesteld en werden alle leerlingen aan het denken gezet. Vooral het feit dat Lee zijn eigen verhaal vertelde en dat hij dit op een snelle, enerverende manier deed, zorgde voor veel waardering. De dansjes en filmpjes die Lee bereid was na afloop met de leerlingen te maken, deden hem nog verder stijgen in de achting van de leerlingen. Het is zeker aan te raden deze voorstelling te boeken voor leerlingen in het tweetalig onderwijs, omdat het thema essentieel is en de voorstelling leerlingen van het 1e en 2e jaar zeker aan zal spreken.”
Teacher at St. Nicolaas Lyceum in Amsterdam
“As a Theatre Director and an educator I can say that ‘Bully’ is an important piece. Using theatre to combat the ever growing perils of bullying is an excellent way to keep the students engaged this is NOT ‘just another boring assembly.’ ”
Theatre Director, Bolles School, Jacksonville, FL
“Thank you again for today’s performance! The kids were buzzing about it and the processing conversations were very insightful.”
The Churchill School & Center, New York, NY
“The best thing I found about the story was that it was about himself and what he had experienced in the past.”
Student from St. Nicolaas Lyceum in Amsterdam
Booking and information
E: education@theenglishtheatre.nl
T: +31 6 2043 1919