Entertainment : VS Middle Schoolers to perform \'Invisible\' Friday, Saturday

The Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School Plays will be presenting the original play Invisible this month. Over 45 students grades 6th-8th will take part in the first time on stage performance. These students have worked very hard on stage and off stage on this very important play about how to become an active bystander in the face of bullying.

Invisible is about a Spirit (played by Casey Funk-8th) that comes to visit a teenage girl Lizzy (Sarah Schminke-8th) to encourage her to see the “invisible children" in her school. The "invisible children" are the kids that are not included in groups, go against social norms and are bullied. The spirit shows Lizzy a student named Marcus (played by Charley Cooling, 8th) who is bullied in PE class; a girl named Jackie (played by Olivia Coder-8th) who is left out of the girl's group at lunch; and finally a boy named Ryan (played by Cole Neilson, 8th) who is being repeatedly bullied on the internet.

Throughout the play, Lizzy looks closer at her classmates and begins understand their pain. She also learns that she can help by reaching out to these students and making them visible to the adults in the situation. She also becomes an active bystander by standing up for the invisible children in front of their peers.

Even though this play has a very serious topic, there are moments of singing, dancing and comedy. The kids have fun playing some dodge ball, singing about their art teacher's (played by Kenyatta Yarbrough-8th) strange obsession with her cat and encouraging each other to eat cafeteria food made by the lunch ladies (Brenna Scheel-8th, Madi Atkinson-6th and Autumn Sauer-7th). Our middle schoolers hope to entertain as well as teach the audience (and themselves) a very important lesson.

This play will touch on sensitive subjects such as cyber bullying, high school drop outs, school shootings and suicide. The play itself does not show these things, it will only discuss the possibilities. Please be sure to discuss these things with younger students before attending the play.

"Invisible" is written and directed by Crystal Coder and can be seen on Tilford Elementary's stage Friday, March 20 and Saturday March 21 at 7:00 pm both nights. Admission at the door is $3 for adults and $2 for students.