#THEWALL is a powerful play about saving lives
Listen to this articleReports suggest that more than half of America’s young people have been cyber bullied. Sometimes it can be so severe that it can lead to teen suicide. Yet so little is being done about it and to a very large extent that is because the adult population just doesn’t get it. Are you an adult over age 25? Do you know these terms?
- Flaming: This is an aggressive exchange between two or more people online.
- Impersonation: Technology allows people to post or comment as others if they have gained access to another’s account. This can be used to bully.
- Cyber Stalking: Social media and messaging gives stalkers new opportunities to contact, follow and harass their victims.
- Outing: Direct access to large groups of people can make outing, — sharing secrets and other personal information — all the more hurtful.
- Trolling: This involves trying to wind up others online with immature questions or mean comments.
(Phantom Projects Theatre Group)
With the rapid expansion of such Internet sites as Snapchat, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram, the risk of cyber bullying has exploded exponentially. The questions is, what if anything, can been done about it? How do we protect our youth on one hand and the first amendment on the other hand?
These are some of the major elements being addressed in a very unique, very much needed new play about teens and social media, #THEWALL. Using the theatre as a means to educate and inform the Phantom Projects Theatre Group, now celebrating its 20th year, has produced #THEWALL which runs only one day, Thursday, May 18th and just two shows; one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 7 p.m.
It is an all teen cast guided by the producing artistic director Steve Cisneros and playwright Bruce Gevirtzman. It will be at the 1,300 seat La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada, California 90638.
The show is 90 minutes long with the first 60 minutes examining various examples of cyber bullying followed by a 30-minute question and answer period with full audience interaction with the teen performers. Of course this will not solve the problem but it will inform and heighten awareness and that alone is a critical first step in finding a very much needed resolution.
It will also encourage essential interaction between child and parent. Okay so it is not Hamilton but it is an extremely important subject and the show promises to be very entertaining as well as informative and unlike Hamilton tickets for #THEWALL range from $8 to $10.
For more information and ticketing visit the website. The recommended minimum age is 13 and children under 10 will not be admitted.
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For another art form visit this link and for any purchase made from that website now through May 30th 2017 a donation equal to 25 percent of the net profit will be made to Phantom Projects Theatre Group so they may continue their excellent work.
Top photo by UMatter
Ron Irwin was born in Chicago, Illinois a long time ago. He served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, became a trial lawyer, TV and radio host, CEO of a public company and once held an Emmy. He never won an Emmy he just held one. Ron has written and published twelve books. His most important book to date is “Live, Die, Live Again” in which Ron tells of his early life and his unexpected and very temporary death in 2012. That experience dramatically refocused his life and within the pages of that book Ron reveals how he achieved a much healthier life, ridding himself of Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Failure. Now Ron enjoys writing about many things including health topics, travel [he has circled the globe several times], adventure, culinary experiences and the world of performing art. Ron’s motto is “Live better, live longer and live stronger because it feels great and annoys others.” Contact the author.