Blue+Group+Radio+Plays

Welcome to Mrs.Shaffer's Blue Group Radio Plays. The students in Mrs. Shaffer's class worked with teaching artist Cory Wilkerson to study theatre arts and the ways in which art communicates a theme or message. Using tableaux and improvisation, Mrs. Shaffer's classes explored the novels //Number the Stars// by Lois Lowry and //Bystander//by James Preller, comparing and contrasting them to identify themes of bullying and courage. Next they created their own original plays, to illustrate a similar theme. Their plays are performed in the style of old time radio theatre- a theatre of the imagination. The students used their voices and sound effects to create the action. As you listen to the stories use your imagination to bring the scene to life.

**Our Process**
We began by exploring theme, filling in giant characters to help us compare and contrast the two novels. Theatre games, tableaux and improvisation helped us to create original stories and bring to life characters, action, setting and plot. We learned about articulation, expression and stage movement, then translated these skills to bring to life our original scripts. Check out these highlights of our process and watch us in rehearsal:

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**Our Plays**
Blue group chose to focus on the theme "stand up for what is right" as an important message to send to young people who may be dealing with conflict in their lives. We hope that these plays will help other students think about the role of a bystander, what happens when someone is bullying or perhaps ways to solve a conflict. Be sure to scroll on down to the bottom of this page for video of the students preparing and rehearsing.

**Choosing Sides**
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Derek hits a home run and wins the game and Parker is jealous. Parker wishes he could hit like Derek, but when he goes to bat he seems to always strike out. When Parker overhears Derek talking about the game, he thinks that Derek is trying to make fun of him, so he decides to start a rrumor that will get Derek in trouble with his friends. Hannah, Molly and Jed believe the rumors, but Brennan isn't so sure. Thiings get out of hand when Hannah and Parker hatch a plan to spread lies about Derek on Facebook, and Derek goes to his friend Brennan for help.hi Now Brennan has to choose between Parker and Derek. Can Brennan get to the bottom of the problem and find out the truth before he loses all of his friends?
 * Questions to think about:**
 * Should you believe everything you hear?**
 * What could you do when a friend tells you a rumor?**

**High School Drama**
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It's the first day in a new school and Jessica is trying to make new friends. The teacher suggests that she attend Club Day at the gym. All of the school clubs will be there to sign up new members. Jessica reluctantly goes, but she can't seem to find a club that matches her interests. She tries to fit in, but she becomes more and more unhappy. Unfortunately what the teacher thinks are clubs are actually cruel cliques- and they don't want Jessica. The groups snap pictures of Jessica and use them to prove that she just doesn't fit in- branding her a misfit and a loser. Jessica has had enough, but what can she do?
 * Questions to think about:**
 * What can help you believe in yourself?**
 * How can you stand up for yourself when others are cruel to you?**

**Soldier Savior**
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In bullying situations there is often a bystander**-** someone who sees what is happening but isn't involved. When that bystander takes action to help the person in trouble, things can change for the better. During World War II, Nazi soldiers invaded and occupied many countries in Europe and began deporting the Jewish populations in those countries to prison camps or death chambers. The people living in those countries, the bystanders, often organized movements to stop this from happening at great cost to themselves. In 1943 in Denmark, the Danish people learned that Hitler planned to deport the Jewish people living in their country. Brave Danish fishermen and others formed a Resistance movement that smuggled 7000 Jews to safety- nearly the entire Jewish population. //Soldier Savior// explores what might have happened if a Nazi soldier resisted just as the Danes did, and stopped being a bystander. It was inspired by a true story told by one of the students, whose grandfather was a Nazi soldier who refused to participate in what was happening. In the story, the main character Anne looks back on her life and remembers when the Nazi's came for she and her family. She was just a little girl and she couldn't understand what was happening or why the soldiers were so mean, insisting they get on the bus. The bus driver knows what is happening though. Can he think of a plan to save the Jewish people on his bus?
 * Questions to think about:**
 * Is it always easy to do the right thing?**
 * What might you do if you see someone being bullied?**