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Posted: Friday, July 16, 2010 10:39 am | Updated: 10:42
am, Fri Jul 16, 2010.
Genesee Fair
musical has a message
By Joanne Beck
jbeck@batavianews.com
The Daily News Online
BATAVIA — Bullying will be at Genesee County Fair this year.
Rest assured, though, that it will be delivered through song
and not violence for “Can’t Bully Me Now,” a musical written
by city resident Lisa Barrett.
The show debuted at St. Joseph’s School earlier this year by
a group of students who had auditioned for parts and
memorized lines and songs. Now they are taking their work on
the road, thanks to Genesee County Legislator Esther Leadley.
“I had heard Lisa talk about it,” Leadley said. “I’m
attached emotionally to the Genesee County Fair and I know
Alton McDuffie, the new fair manager. I’ve been kind of
feeding him suggestions. We’re looking to draw people. I’m
hoping that the children will draw their parents to the fair
and they’ll end up doing other things while they’re there.”
Even if parents don’t want to go, their children will
hopefully have enough interest to take the lead and ask mom
and dad to bring them to the east end fair on Route 5,
Leadley said.
The musical, which leads spectators through a 45-minute
story of bullying from the victim’s and bully’s perspective,
is scheduled for 4 p.m. July 24. It offers a message of hope
for anyone who feels caught up in a bad situation, Barrett
said.
“It allows kids to feel what it’s like to be bullied, and
teaches them three simple steps to overcome it,” she said.
Barrett’s nephew, who endured serious bullying violence in
school, inspired her to write the play, though she admitted
that she also experienced bullying behaviors. One scene
featuring a girl getting picked last in gym class was
reminiscent of Barrett’s school days, she said.
“Can’t Bully Me Now” is free to the public and sponsored by
Batavia Youth Bureau and GCASA. Barrett, a singer and
songwriter, will take to the stage herself at 6 p.m. July 23
for Country Day at the fair.
St.
Joseph's debuting original play on effects of bullying

Music teacher Lauren Hoerbelt, left, and city musician Lisa
Barrett review Barrett’s play, “Can’t Bully Me Now!” during
rehearsal Tuesday at St. Joseph’s School in Batavia. The
production will debut for the public at 7 p.m. Friday at the
school on the corner of East Main and Summit streets. (Rocco
Laurienzo/Daily News)
Posted: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 12:00 am
St. Joseph's debuting original play on effects of bullying
By Joanne Beck
jbeck@batavianews.com
The Daily News Online
BATAVIA — Lynese Castro's smile drops a bit after she is
picked last in gym class.
Of course, her team's captain doesn't help by groaning that
he had to take a less athletic student such as Lynese.
It felt like "no one likes me or cares," Lynese said of her
role as Lisa in the musical "Can't Bully Me Now!"
Although the scene was for the original play about bullying,
it is perhaps a familiar one to many. The coach tells two
captains to each pick from a pool of classmates. Eventually
there are just a few students left who are begrudgingly
selected.
It's certainly something that city resident and playwright
Lisa Barrett can relate to. And it is, in part, the reason
why she scripted the 45-minute work. It's set to debut at 7
p.m. Friday at St. Joseph's School, corner of Summit and
East Main streets.
Barrett's main motivation came from nephew Bryce, who
endured bullying at a Buffalo area school.
"He experienced bullying over a few years, and it got
violent," Barrett said during rehearsal Tuesday at St.
Joseph's School. "They were on the bus and a few boys held
him down and punched him, and they told him 'you just have
to take it.' Well, he doesn't have to take it."
Her nephew's encounter with bullying, as well as Barrett's
first-hand lessons of getting teased in school, led her to
writing the play and five songs about student interactions
and how adults can sometimes be oblivious to the real drama
of school. With a son attending St. Joseph's School, Barrett
asked if officials would be willing to debut her play for
students, staff and parents.
Barrett then visited the school's music classes and shared
why she wanted to put on such a play. In turn, students
opened up to her and spoke of their own torments and
ordeals. It was "overwhelming," she said. "It became very
emotional." She hopes that her play can not only offer
empathy to students but instruction for how to cope from all
perspectives.
"The musical is hands-on and is designed to portray
real-life bullying situations and to teach the kids how to
get the help they need, whether they are bullied, the
bystander or the actual bully," she said.
Act I features a coach instructing his two team captains to
pick players for a basketball game. Lisa and classmate Betty
are the last two to get chosen. Their heads droop down as
everyone else is staring at them. As Barrett watched the
rehearsal she nodded to Lynese and whispered, "True story,
that was me." After each girl gets picked for a team, the
narrator interrupted to ask: what would you do?
Ten-year-old Lynese, aka Lisa, reminded the audience that
this scenario is one not to be forgotten by those who got
picked last.
"We all need to feel important, to be liked," she said. "And
to know that we matter."
Similar to how bullying can escalate, the musical steps up
each scene to incorporate more serious trouble. Scenes
include kids mocking Billy, who wears glasses, as "the
four-eyed nerd," a bully knocking Billy's books out of his
hands and a threatening text message left on Billy's cell
phone. He eventually tells his mom he's too sick to go to
school.
"It's important for all of us to know the signs when someone
might be the victim of bullying," a narrator said.
Barrett thought she was finished after her fourth song. But
then she learned about Rachel's Challenge and how Rachel
Scott, who was killed by classmates at Colorado's Columbine
High School, had focused on kindness. Kindness. It was
something that Barrett wanted to include with her musical.
She wanted to offer a real answer to what kids can do to be
positive at school.
"I needed to show kids what they need to do instead of
bullying," she said.
Enter the song "Show a Little Kindness." Barrett has offered
it to the nationally known Rachel's Challenge program and
listed it as the third song in her play.
If someone has a really bad day, go up and ask "Are you
Okay?"
If someone's feeling sad and blue, ask if there's something
you can do. You can make a difference each and every day.
Show a little kindness; it goes a long way.
For Bryce, his parents and school staff became "key players"
in stopping his ordeal, Barrett said. He has since gained
more confidence and is better able to handle such treatment.
She hopes that local children, parents and school workers
will take away a similar message to be part of the solution
for anyone dealing with bullying.
Reid Rademacker, a fifth-grader who plays the coach and a
bully, has encountered bullying himself. His prior residence
was near people who didn't treat him so well. Although it
"was kind of cool to see what it's like" as a bully, he
knows the down side.
"I didn't like it," he said. "It's nice to know I can do
something about it. I would probably talk to the person
doing the bullying and the one being bullied. I think it's
great to help people who are bullied."
The play is free and open to the public.
Anti-bullying play packs a powerful message
Posted: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 1:04 am | Updated:
1:07 am, Wed Dec 15, 2010.
Anti-bullying play packs a powerful message
By Paul Mrozek
pmrozek@batavianews.com The Daily
News Online
Members of the Genesee County Drug Free Communities
Coalition were introduced Tuesday to a new way of teaching
children about the negative effects of harassing and picking
on their peers.
“Can’t Bully Me Now,” a 30-minute musical, was performed at
the quarterly meeting of the coalition, at Terry Hills Golf
Club. About 60 students from St. Joseph’s School in Batavia
comprised the cast and the chorus.
The play gives the characters and the audience a first-hand
look at bullying and steps that can help stop it.
The performance consists of several acts in which students
in fourth, fifth and sixth grade took on roles of bullies
and victims. The mini-dramas were ones commonly experienced
or observed in schools, such as harassment in the corridor,
in the cafeteria and by cell phone.
Sixth-grader John Betters plays a geeky child in several
scenes. In one of them a group of students corner him at his
locker.
One boy calls Betters a “four-eyed nerd,” and knocks some
books out of his hands and onto the floor.
Other students who observe the incident “are just watching
but not brave enough to do anything,” the narrator said.
The student victim student then receives a text message, “We
will get you, nerd.”
Betters’ character arrives home after school, claims he has
a stomach ache and hides in his bedroom.
“I don’t want to go to school. I don’t want to be afraid.
“I don’t want to be the one that’s picked on every day,” the
nerd sings.
“You would want your friends to help you,” he said.
Stomach aches, headaches, nervousness, low self-esteem and
falling grades can all be signs of bullying, the narrator
tells the audience.
Another scene takes place at lunchtime in a cafeteria. A
girl new to the school has trouble finding a vacant seat at
any table.
Responses she receives when she asked if it is OK to sit
down include, “All these seats are taken” and “Maybe, if I
can have your lunch.”
The students then sing about WUG, an acronym for possible
ways to cope with the situation, Walk Away, Use Your Voice,
Go Get Help. The play ends with the cast and chorus
singing the title track, “Can’t Bully Me Now.”
The lyrics: “I found my way out. Now I’m so much stronger. I
won’t take it an longer. Can’t bully me now.”
Shannon Ford of the Genesee-Orleans Council on Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse said there is no standard program to
address the issue of bullying, as there is for other social
issues such as drug and alcohol abuse.
Bullying, Ford said, “needs to be addressed as soon as
possible.”
The anti-bullying message of the play encourages students to
show empathy, compassion, respect and kindness to other
students and stand up and support victims of school
bullying, Ford said.
She also conducts workshops to promote Peace Circles,
discussion groups that emphasize empathy, compassion,
respect and kindness to other students and how to stand up
and support victims of school bullying. Oakfield Central
School is using peace circles as part of its anti-bullying
efforts, Ford said.
“Can’t Bully Me Now” was written and composed by Lisa
Barrett, prevention educator with GCASA. Barrett is a
singer/songwriter Lisa Barrett who is also a St. Joseph
School parent.
About 140 people attended Tuesday’s Drug Free Communities
event.
When You Look At Me By:
Brian Campbell
Click here to view article on Rochester At Home website
Lisa Barrett
When You Look at Me
www.lisabarrettcd.com
To my knowledge, county musicians are few and far between
around these parts, but when you find one – man, are they
good. Very much is the case of Lisa Barrett. Her newest
release When You Look at Me is probably one of the
most uplifting and refreshing records I’ve personally heard
in a while.
The big selling point of the record is obviously Barrett’s
soaring vocal work. They are at all times fresh and
comforting and on par with that of country heavyweight’s
Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain or an Alison Krauss. Her
voice doesn’t falter, crack or even fade at any point on
this CD. It stays sensitive and soothing the whole time.
Speaking of her vocals, her lyrics are smart too. Let’s
Roll is a majestic tribute to those who perished on 9/11
aboard United Flight 93 and it even has been entered into
the national archives for future generations of historians
and educators to study. She deals with all sorts of
sensitive issues such as heartbreak, loneliness, standing up
and being strong, and knowing when to leave bad situations.
One overwhelming theme through the record is the remembrance
of her nephew Austin, whom she lost to cancer. She named the
CD after something she said to herself when she was looking
at a picture of him, and the title track of the record,
When You Look at Me, is about him as well.
Aside from all of the deeper meanings housed on this CD, the
music is good. Overall it really reminds me of Shania
Twain’s album, Up!, very poppy and upbeat, and clear,
crisp, and meaningful throughout. This is one of those
records that you can pop into your CD player no matter what
mood you’re in and it will cheer you up or make you think –
whatever you need. It is definitely a mood changing album.
What makes this CD better than the music itself is the fact
that a portion of the proceeds from this CD will be donated
to Essential Care for Children, a pediatric home care
program for children with life-threatening illness, and
their families. For more information, check out
www.essential-care.org.
The CD is currently for sale over at
www.lisabarrettcd.com
for only $11.99 and free shipping! You cannot go wrong with
a great price for a great CD.
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