Check out the amazing music video created by the students of Foley High School (Foley, MN) for their production. Directed by Varrick Bruno. "You're Not Alone" used with permission of Saosin.
Read the editorial in the Edson Leader (Edson, AB, Canada) in praise of the play and Pine Grove Middle School's production.
"In my 17 years of teaching, I have rarely found a script that has touched the cast, crew, student and adult audience in such a profound way. Upon our first reading of the play, our company stated that it was a play that we had to produce. My students felt like they needed to do this for their school."
--Troy Herbort, head of the Fine Arts Department, Socorro High School (El Paso, Texas)
"When you've worked with teenagers as long as I have, you can sense the mood...and I would say that they were completely enthralled from start to finish. The play speaks their language...and it delivers its message with full force...there's no holding back. The Bluebird monologue is a prime example...you could feel the shock and discomfort rippling through the theatre......not to mention the dead silence. I love those moments."
--Shane MacMillan, Director of Drama, Hampton High School (Hampton, NB, Canada), which performed at the New Brunswick Provincial Drama Festival and Conference
"At the festival our group won an award for 'Outstanding Achievement in
Social Activism,' which was a credit to both the script and the sincerity
with which the students delivered it."
--Helen Payette, Drama Teacher, Pine Grove Middle School (Edson, AB, Canada)
"I just wanted to send you a thank you for the play you wrote. We performed it this past weekend at a one act play festival, and...I so appreciate that there are others out there who realize that middle school actors can handle plays that have a message."
--Leslie McKibben, Theatre Director, Hildebrandt Intermediate School (Spring, Texas)
"My students really enjoyed producing Thank You for Flushing... They found the use of humor in the script surprising and effective. The show helped them understand that you don't need to resort to melodrama to make an important point. I would recommend this show to anyone looking for a meaningful project."
--Dollie Boyd, Riverdale High School (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
"When I read the play, I felt that it connected with
students on their level. It does not preach, but it uses
their language, their situations, and their experiences to
deal with the issue of bullying in a realistic manner. It has had a tremendous impact on my students' lives.
They are much closer and more aware of the impact of
bullying around them everyday."
--Michelle Backel, Hagerty High School (Oviedo, Florida)
the opening scene in the Hagerty High School production
"I simply wanted to personally thank you for writing such a terrific play. I had been bullied in my younger years and feel that this is a message that really has to get out there and this play is absolutely perfect for it. My school recently performed this at our Provincial Drama Fest. The students loved it! Everyone came in thinking it was going to be a comedy, and apparently kids were crying by the end of it. Simply demonstrating how powerful your play really is. Once again, I can't thank you enough, I've learned so much through this play and was glad I could get such an important message across as Achilles."
--Alex, student, Hampton High School
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity I had being cast in the Socorro
High School production. Being Glinda was an eye-opening experience. I
loved the play! It was wonderfully written."
--Melanie, student, Socorro High School
"I'm one of the students from the Midway, B.C. production. Being in this
play is an experience I will never forget. It opened my eyes to a lot
of things. Brilliant work."
--Sherry, student, Boundary Central Secondary School (Midway, British Columbia, Canada)
"We had a great experience with Thank You for Flushing.... We took it to state competition and loads of directors were asking about the show. Several went on to produce it themselves. I am sure they saw in it what we saw: a piece that addresses bullying in a straightforward, non-cloying way. The emotions here are sincere but not sappy. My students liked the fact that it is a 'call to action' for their peers. I would recommend this piece for high school as well as middle school actors and audiences. The set and costume requirements can be as simple or as elaborate as your budget allows. Altogether, this is a rewarding piece of theatre."
--Mindi Penn, North Myrtle Beach High School (Little River, South Carolina)
"Thank you for writing a delightful script that while humorous still brought home the seriousness of the issue of school bullying."
--Bruce Turner, Counselor, Royster Middle School (Chanute, Kansas)
Astoundingly, Thank You for Flushing..., along with my play about school violence, Now You See Me, had its production at Smithton Middle School in Columbia, Missouri canceled less than a month before opening! Read the story that ran in The Columbia Missourian on Saturday, February 9, 2008. More informative, though, is the article in the Columba Daily Tribune on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. Read it here. And best of all is an op-ed piece by Ken Green that ran on Sunday, March 9, 2008. Read it here.
Thank You for Flushing... was featured on Your Neighborhood Stage Podcast. To download the episode directly, click here (the play is featured just over 13 minutes into the podcast).
