“Bullying Collection” grabs stage
Photo by Aaron Veincent
“The Bullying Collection,” which is a play with multiple short skits, opens in Keōpūolani Hale Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., with additional showings on Feb. 25 and March 3 and 4.
The Bullying Collection, starring the Kamehameha Schools Maui Drama Club, premiers Friday and plays Saturday night at 7 p.m. on Feb. 24 and 25 and March 3 and 4 at Keōpūolani Hale.
The collection features multiple short skits that showcase the effects of bullying and the different types of bullies. It begins with a humorous skit about a Bullies Anonymous group, which portrayed a lighter, friendlier side of bullies who are trying to change.
The skit following had a much darker and serious tone to it. Actors stand frozen and talk directly to the audience in grim monologues. This emphasized the seriousness of the skits that would follow.
The opening skit of the night sets a humorous tone as junior Taytum Herrick sits in Bullies Anonymous.
The Bullying Collection is quite a switch from the first-semester musical, Sympathy Jones: The New Secret Agent Musical, and the actors switch things up as well.
Senior Mariana Kaniho, rather than playing the chipper protagonist, plays the parts of different bullies. On stage she plays a snobby, popular girl; a yoga mom; the class president; and other characters. Senior Kailee Kaeo also has a character switch-up when she portrays a do-gooder in contrast to her super villain character from Jones.
“These characters I have to develop sporadically, and it’s fun,” Kaniho said.
Spunky music plays between each skit, which sets the mood for a totally different scene to come in which each student must embody a new and unique character. Small scene and clothing changes help the audience differentiate between the changing characters because all of the students play multiple characters.
This enlightening and heart warming collection is well showcased as each actor truly embodies every character, and the raw emotion in the darker skits grip the audience.
The Bullying Collection shines a light on an important issue facing students today. It will be showing this weekend, as well as next, and it is open to the public and free or charge.
