MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A local couple is spreading an important message to thousands of students in a unique way.
Dan and Rebecca Burd created a musical nearly two decades ago which aims to showcase the impacts of bullying and show how students can do their part to stop it.
“We know that we can change not just our generation, but generations to come,” Dan Burd said.
They have been taking their show around the country for almost 20 years, with casts performing in front of more than 300,000 students in more than 300 schools in more than 30 states.
After taking a few years off, they are bringing the show back to life and working to get into as many local schools as they can.
The musical is called Speak Life- The Musical to End Bullying. The cast of 28 people, mainly high school students, has performed in the last few weeks in front of thousands of students in Martin County, including Jensen Beach High School and Martin County High School.
The storyline follows the lives of several students, who Rebecca and Dan say most students should be able to relate to. The story shows how bullying affects students, and why some students might have personal issues causing them to be mean to others.
There are the athletes, the cheerleaders, the theatre lovers, the new girl in school, among other characters. There is also the student who is physically bullied in school.
“Our goal is to cast the biggest net possible. So we know there are lots of subsets of kids,” Dan Burd said.
Gavin Nine plays the victim of bullies. “I represent the kid who gets pushed around and bullied. So, I’m kind of the voice for the voiceless,” Nine explained. He says he wanted to be a part of the show because of the purpose it serves. He hopes he makes a difference in a student’s life.
“There’s so many kids and things that go unnoticed in schools that you can fix as a high school students, [things] that you can help with,” Nine said.
The show ends by showing how an act of kindness might have kept the bullied student from spiraling into his own acts of violence, whether it is suicide or violence against his classmates.
After the show, the cast mingles with students to talk to them more about bullying, and resources available for students who need more help.
Dan and Rebecca wrote the show 18-years-ago. For Dan, writing the show was personal.
“I had issues with bullying really strongly in middle school and high school.”
Telling the anti-bullying message through a musical is a way to touch students more deeply, Rebecca said.
“What we have seen is a lot of kids say a lot of people get up there and talk to us about it, or maybe they’ll even show a film about it, but when you put a live person on a stage and they look a little like me or act a little like me... it comes alive in a way,” Rebecca said.
Martin County High School students say the message was powerful, and will likely make a difference in their school.
“I think implementing these types of programs really does make a difference,” Senior Ava Koessick said.
“I think it was a really good thing to have come to our school because I think it did impact a lot of people,” said Senior Sabrina Price.
Speak Life to End Bullying is put on through a non-profit organization called All Access Productions, which uses donations to put on the production.
They are working to raise more money and perform in more local schools.
Learn more about the show here.