As a parent of teens and someone who has seen many programs in the schools, I was really impressed with the effectiveness of Girl Chat. The actors were incredible and easy to approach during the dynamic question and answer discussion. The girls were fully engaged during the entire hour — every hand went up as they embraced the chance to talk frankly with the all-female actor troupe who understood what they were going through. I wish we could bring this very powerful program to all girls across the state.
Linda Altieri
Chair, Lynnfield Cultural Council
Provides girls with the opportunity to see the harm caused by bullying
About the Show
Ask any parent, teacher or student if girls can be bullies and you get a resounding "yes." Girl Chat shows how damaging relational or emotional bullying can be, and provides a focal point for serious discussion and action.
Girl Chat helps students
- Reflect on what bullying means to the individual and school culture
- Practice ways to respond to bullying
- Learn how to help a friend who is a victim of abuse or a perpetrator — by accessing local and school resources
- model how to help friends who are victims of, or are exhibiting, abusive behavior
Girl Chat Program Information
- Program lasts approximately 1 hour for performance and discussion
- Program includes a performance, post-show discussion, and teaching materials
- Additional support available includes teacher training, student/peer leadership training, and the coordination with other school prevention activities
Girl Chat provides panoramas of common experiences adolescent girls face as they navigate the complexities of interpersonal relationships. The play presents the real-life experiences of a student caught between the opportunity for popularity and the defense of her old friend, now a victim of bullying. It depicts the relationships between three girls: the main character, her less popular, slightly geeky friend, and a “queen bee” or popular mean girl. The story incorporates episodes of cyber-bullying, public exclusion, and taunting and harassment about wardrobe and weight to express the escalation of abuse that characterizes any type of bullying.
Girl Chat’s central message encourages positive bystander response and community action to combat the fallout created by a social hierarchy that uses meanness as a tool to power. The post-show talk-back with the actresses provide an opportunity to debrief key messages of the play and encourage continuing dialogue and action.
Students enjoy and learn from the interaction between actors and audience during and after the performance when the actors moderate a question and answer period. The program planning guide includes evaluation materials, a sample media release, poster for reproduction, discussion guide, and resources.
Limited production rights are also available.
Visit our testimonials page for more information.
