Youth Theatre Tackles Bullying and School Violence
Producing Artistic Director, Joe Atack, relates “GLM aspires to give a voice to many issues we face in the 21st Century.” Atack goes on to say “In Our Own Backyard explores perhaps one of the most troubling problems in the United States today ,something we here in Reno and Sparks have also sadly faced in recent years, school shootings”
“I was inspired to write this piece due to necessity,” relates Spotlight Youth Theatre Director Rachel Lopez. Rachel Lopez, who studied at U.S.I.U, Old Globe Theatre, and Second City, has been performing, directing, and teaching for almost thirty years. According to Lopez:
“I was searching for a youth play with a more sophisticated script that addressed a relevant issue that kids could relate to but I couldn't find one. After much research and searching I finally realized I was going to have to write the play I wanted to produce.”
“In Our Own Backyard” tackles a number of social and cultural issues including bullying, peer pressure, family trauma, and school violence. Lopez states “This age has always been a challenging time in most people's lives but today, with all the social media and technology, it seems even worse.”
“In Our Own Backyard” premieres March 12th at 7:30pm and runs through the weekend closing Sunday March 15th 2:00pm. Tickets are $15 pre-sale and $18 at the door. Tickets are available online or through brown paper tickets. Show contains adult themes and some strong language.