“Think about the lives you will effect (with this performance). It will have a ripple effect. Think about the power of your work and what you can do to alter lives… you are touching lives,” says Patricia Young, the drama teacher at St. Peter’s Secondary School who helped organize the performance.

Titled ‘In The Shadows,’ the play was performed to an audience of close to 300 students, teachers and faculty Friday morning. It was the last of the cast’s six performances.

The drama series was an initiative of the YWCA and Arbour Theatre, as a way to educate and promote healthy relationships, explains Janice Wuerch, a YWCA school-based program worker.

“The premise is to teach the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships. The message is, if you are a victim or know of someone who is, do something about it – talk to someone,” says Janice.

Besides St. Peter’s, another student group at Adam Scott Collegiate also produced and performed their own play on the same topic. They did four performances.

“Each group created their own play. They were both very different, but with the same message,” explains Janice.

Ray Henderson and Phil Oakley of the Arbour Theatre assisted the students by leading drama exercises. The Department of National Crime provided funding for the project, adds Janice.

The St. Peter’s performance was comprised of three scenes that addressed dating violence, family violence and bullying. Through symbolic interpretive movement with long red ribbons and white masks, dance and dramatic vignettes, the students creatively depicted situations of violence, both physically and verbally – boyfriends abusing girlfriends, parents abusing children, and students bullying students.

Each vignette communicated the idea that keeping quiet about violence only perpetuates the problem. So, each vignette wrapped up with messages that encourage people to speak up.

For instance, at the end of the dating violence scene, three girls made simple yet direct statements: “I called the YWCA,” said one. “I talked to my parents,” said another. “I talked to friends,” said the third girl.

What really added to the show’s impact were personal accounts of bullying experienced by three of the cast members. Though they each only spoke a few sentences about what they went through, their words made a difference.

“It was good to hear the personal stories. That taught me a lot,” comments Robyn Prieur, 15, after the performance.

Statistics about violence were stated throughout the performance, for example, one in nine Toronto high school students reported episodes of physical abuse, and every 15 seconds, a woman is beaten.

It is statistics like those that really had an impact on cast members such as Katie Fitzgerald, 16. “The numbers blew me away,” she says.

This kind of performance is important in this day and age, adds Katie. “The times are changing. You see violence happening at younger and younger ages. It’s an important issue to discuss, and not a lot of people are open to discussing it.”

Cast members Meghan Henning, 15, and Amanda Scott, 17, agree.

“I thought the play was a good idea because we’ve seen violence going on. Everyone has been bullied at one point,” notes Amanda.

“I don’t think there is a lot of exposure to these kinds of issues. Kids need to know that there are people out there who will support them,” says Meghan.

The play concluded with a symbolic gesture of hope and action. Cast members who had been wearing white masks removed them, one by one, and stated: “Don’t walk in the shadows. Take off your mask.”

“It really opened my eyes,” says Danielle Allen, 15, after the performance. “I could relate to it.”

When asked if she thinks the play will make a difference at her school, she answers, “Some will look past it, and some will take it seriously.”

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