Press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School

The Bystander: A Portrait of Apathy, a proposal submitted by Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School English teacher Suzanne Sweeney, has been accepted by the New York

University Forum on Educational Theatre. Students from Sweeney’s current RFH drama class will perform the play about teen harassment and bullying on April 24, as part of the event that will take place at NYU on April 21-24.

The Bystander: A Portrait of Apathy was submitted by Sweeney to the Forum on Educational Theatre, also known as FOET, in the fall of 2015 as a youth theatre production. Proposals need to adhere to a timeframe of 30 to 60 minutes and resonate with the three focus areas for the forum: drama in education, applied theatre, and theatre for young audiences/play production. The proposed production was accepted after what FOET describes as “a comprehensive international peer review process.”

“The class members are producing the play themselves – from casting and blocking to props and music and lighting,” said Sweeney. “Every day the class begins with a production meeting on the objectives to be met on the timeline I have provided.”

The students also made the crucial decision to present their narratives in pantomime format, a choice that Sweeney said “made the dramatic work even more powerful – it sends a clear

message.”

The students thoroughly researched the subject of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB). A representative from the RFH School Climate Committee addressed the students as well, examining the topic in the context of the current school environment. Throughout the process, the students maintained daily journals with entries in the areas of Objective, Accomplishment, and Personal Reflection.

The RFH School Climate Committee – consisting of administrators, child study team members, guidance counselors, student assistance counselors, and teachers – felt that a filmed

performance of Bystander: A Portrait in Apathy would be a powerful tool for educating students in the RFH sending districts. A grant from the RFH Education Foundation covered the cost of royalties, and members of the RFH Film Club lent their time and expertise. Once the student performers felt comfortable with the dramatic piece, the Film Club members worked with them to make key filming decisions.

RFH students performing in The Bystander: A Portrait of Apathy are Gianna Casale, Vaughn Coleman, Emily Cooner, William Dey, Matthew Hughes, Jeremy Nives, Jane Pavluk, Eli Rallo,  Paige Russo, Lisa Sandoli, Ben Segall, Kelli Tuttle, and Alissa Zack. The Student Directors are Gianna Casale, Eli Rallo, and Alissa Zack.