Students Use Theatre to Prevent Bullying

Omaha – The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and Millard Horizon High School are teaming up to stop bullying through special theatrical performances for fourth-and-fifth-grade students at Rowher Elementary School on Tuesday, March 11.

Students from Doug Patterson’s “Introduction to Theatre” class have teamed with students from Milliard Horizon to present five interactive vignettes on how to identify, cope with and stop bullying. The performances will run from 1 – 2 p.m.

Paterson’s course was designed to incorporate a service-learning component in collaboration with UNO’s Service Learning Academy’s P-16 Initiative.

As part of UNO’s Service Learning Academy, the P-16 Initiative facilitates partnerships between three key groups:

- UNO students and their teachers
- Preschool-through-high school students and their teachers
- Community organizations and their members

Through these service-learning partnerships, P-16 brings the classroom into the community through application of education to find solutions to real-life problems.

“The students are learning the forum theatre approach,” Paterson said, “whereby short scenes show a good person confronted by difficult antagonists, struggling mightily to get what they want and what the community wants, but failing.”

Once each performance is over, audience members will be invited to discuss options for what the protagonist could have done instead of what was shown. The scene will then be performed again and audience members will physically take the place of the protagonist in order to try out their ideas.

“Many proposals will be sought and enacted, with facilitators providing critical thinking approaches to each problem,” Patterson explained. “Critical thinking is foundational to this kind of theatre.”

Questions or media inquiries should be sent to Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or by phone at 402.554.2129.

About the UNO Department of Theatre
UNO’s Department of Theatre is committed to individual student development toward artistic and cultural maturity. Coursework is designed to develop an in-depth understanding of the theatre-making process in the areas of script analysis, dramaturgy, technical work, design and acting. Through both in-class and production work, students learn the value of discipline, collaboration, communication, research, planning, clarifying goals, attaining deadlines and problem solving.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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