SOUTH POMFRET — Twelve-year-old Will DeCapua Whiteman describes himself as “sort of shy.”
But when he’s onstage that changes.
“By myself, representing me, I don’t like talking in front of tons and tons of people,” said DeCapua Whiteman, who is a student at Upper Valley Waldorf School. “But I feel like when I’m acting I feel better because I’m not representing myself, I’m representing someone else.”
DeCapua Whiteman is one of nine actors ages 10 to 14 who will be performing in Bully No More!, a youth production at Artistree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret. There are also two kids who are involved in behind-the-scenes roles, including running the lights. Performances take place at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 for ages 18 and under and $15 for adults. Tickets can be purchased at artistreevt.org.
“They all have a leading role,” said director Josh Smith, who is also the artistic director for Artistree’s annual Music Theatre Festival. “It’s an ensemble cast so there’s no part that’s bigger than another part which is fun for theater kids.”
The hourlong play imagines children as animals who are bullies or being bullied. The characters show what drives their actions and how they can learn to get along.
“It deals with people who are bullied for a variety of different reasons, whether it be that they’re very tall or they’re a different race or a different gender or maybe have a learning disability or might not be so good at sports,” Smith said. “Then we have our set of bullies who might be very smart or very strong or very athletic and how they can sometimes see themselves as superior because they can do things others can’t.”
DeCapua Whiteman is playing the role of Lion, who is a bully and grows to learn the error of his ways throughout the play.
“I think it’s been a fun experience. I never really actually played a bad character in a play before and it’s been a good experience being a bully,” he said. “I learned how to be mean, but not actually be mean. I’m the last one to actually change, but in the end I eventually become good.”
Peter Burkholder, 10, plays the role of Dinosaur and serves as a mediator between the characters.
“It’s fun to play two sides and I like singing. That’s pretty fun,” said Burkholder, who is home-schooled. “I get to meet people that I don’t know and do lots of singing and dancing and talking.”
Smith said that, while Artistree has had youth productions through its summer theater camps, this is the first one that is taking place during the school year. For some kids, it will be the first time they have been onstage.
“The kids are learning about music, they’re learning dance, they’re learning about the stage, they’re learning stagecraft,” Smith said. “They’re learning how to behave onstage, how to handle themselves backstage and navigate through sets and work with lights.”
The message of Bully No More! — to treat each other with kindness — is one of the reasons Smith and others at Artistree were drawn to it. The characters also talk to each other about their issues and learn that communication is key to making things better.
“It doesn’t mean that they’re friends, but it means they can get along,” Smith said. “They can coexist.”
The young actors have learned more about bullying and how to make things better for people in their communities.
“I think I’ve learned that bullying isn’t OK and you don’t have to be mean to someone to feel important, which is one of my lines,” Burkholder said.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
