Anti-Bullying Musical Begins Sixth Season of School Tours

In the midst of new anti-bullying legislation, this year's touring production of The New Kid is especially relevant. Presented by The Random Farms Kids' Theater, The New Kid is a 55-minute musical about students at a middle school dealing with peer pressure, hazing, bullying and the importance of staying true to oneself. The show, which features young actors ranging in age from 10 to 14 years old, travels to local schools and includes a Q&A with students, teachers and the cast after the performance.

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

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.

"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 explains.

This season of the tour features Scarsdale residents Julia White in the role of Maddie, Emma Kops in the role of Tiffany, and Craig Carroll in the role of Joey.

The New Kid was written for grades 2-8 and has been performed at over 100 area schools in NY, NJ and CT over the last four years. Teachers interested in booking the show at their school can contact the theater at 212-956-2566 or email [email protected].