Mohegan Lake Performer Sends Strong Message Against Bullying

"To any of my peers, bullying is a traumatic experience. It is a horrible thing and I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

That's what 14-year-old Gabrielle Sansone, of Mohegan Lake, said. The Lakeland High School freshman has been bullied in the past and now she is doing whatever she can to make sure others don't experience it.

She is among a group of young actors, ages 10 to 14, who are sending a message against anti-bullying in the touring musical The New Kid. The show is just in time for October's National Bullying Prevention Month.

Sansone had been bullied by one girl for her looks, she said. That one girl had also made hurtful comments to some of Sansone's friends. At first she didn't know what to do and it took a while before it stopped. When Sansone wasn't able to deal with it alone, she said she finally talked to a few adults who helped with the situation. 

"Sometimes you question why is someone treating you so badly," she said. "It is hard to understand. At times you wonder what did I do? What is it about me that this person doesn't like?"

Sansone, cast in the show for the third time, plays the role of Samantha. She described her character as an outcast who is also comfortable with being different from the rest of her peers. 

"I feel like she is that little bit of sanity in the chaotic and stressful experience we know as middle school," Sansone said of her character. "She works to keep everyone grounded and [....] in the end brings [everyone] together regardless of who they are, what they look like or what their interests are."

The show is presented by The Random Farms Kids’ Theater, based in Elmsford. The musical production focuses on middle school students who are dealing with peer pressure, hazing and bullying. The show, which travels to schools, includes a Q&A with students, teachers and cast members after the performance. 

"The goal of this program is to create awareness about the dangers of bullying in a way that's accessible to elementary and middle school students," the show's producer Anya Wallach said in a statement. "Having kids perform for kids is tremendously advantageous because the audience can connect to the performers."

After experiencing bullying herself, Sansone is now able to step up and interfere if she sees another person being bullied. When she witnessed a friend being verbally intimidated, she stepped in and told the "bully" to stop making those hurtful comments. 

"Sometimes you have to be brave and take a stand or speak up for someone else," she said. "It doesn't matter if we are not the closest friends, no one should have to deal with bullying."

The core themes of The New Kid are meant to help younger students identify and address issues of character development that will give them the strength later in life to deal with personal differences - no matter what they are, according to the show' producer. 

"The key is to start educating kids before they get to high school, so they arrive armed with the tools to deal with bullying in any form," Wallach said.

'The New Kid' was written for students in grades 2-8 and it has been performed at more than 100 area schools in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut over the last four years. It will start touring in October and end in May 2014. 

Teachers interested in booking the show at their school can contact the theater at 212-956-2566 or email anya@randomfarms.com.