Performance Troupe Targets Teen Bullying
December 08, 2011
By Jennifer Wolan, writer for The Daily Herald
The members of the youthful MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe as they appeared at
Wallace Grade School near Ottawa, Illinois on October 11, 2011 are
(front
row from left) Ashley Stonehouse, Taylor Oechsel, Chris Honn, and Chris
Oechsel.
In the second row are Jake Smith, Mason Ridenour, and Wynd
Ridenour and
in the third row are Shawn Conerton, Rachel Plasch, Rob
Delgado, Alex Oechsel, Lexi Parr, and Sarah Saltiel.
(photo by Jeremy Reed
of Impact Life Photography)
Teen suicide, harassment and bullying are growing concerns at the high school and even middle school level.
In response to this crisis, a performance troupe has formed to help get positive messages out to teens and preteens.
MWAH! Performing Arts Troupe will take the stage at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, as part of an Operation Snowflake event at Haines Middle School, 305 S. 9th St., St. Charles.
MWAH!, which stands for Messages Which Are Hopeful, is a troupe of 13 performers, ages 11-20, from the Chicago suburbs, including the Fox Valley area and DuPage County.
"Since we (the performers) are the same age as the (audience) members, I think it gets the message out better," said Sarah Saltiel, a high school junior from Willowbrook.
Participating with MWAH! will be Kassi Wagner, whose brother, Dylan, took his life in April 2010, one of at least three Batavia teen suicides in the past two years.
"Dylan was 15 when he took his life," said Ray Moffitt, the troupe’s director. "His sister will say a few very meaningful words about him Friday evening."
Moffitt said St. Charles School District 303 has begun a proactive approach to preventing teen suicides and bullying, including advocating greater awareness and a more open discussion of this issue, a position which the MWAH! troupe strongly endorses and is glad to be a part of.
"This message needs to get out through the staff and students," Moffitt said. "This is done through the performing arts of drama, narration, songs, and dance."
Performers also will focus on such other issues as discrimination and abusive relationships.
"One of our goals is to cause audience members to think about these issues and then to react in ways that are positive," Moffitt said.
On a more uplifting note for Friday’s presentation, several Haines Middle School students and staff members will be recognized as 'heroes' for their achievements in providing leadership and in successfully meeting personal challenges in their own lives.
"The group really likes to interact with the audience and also involve local students in the production," Moffitt said.
The not-for-profit troupe is affiliated with Kids Do Count, Inc. and the Chicago Area Project, a grass-roots service and advocacy program based in downtown Chicago and part of an Illinois-wide community services and advocacy network targeting at-risk youths.
For details, visit www.mwah.net or call (630) 993-0003.