Crossing The Line A Teasing and Bullying Prevention Play for Students in Grades 5 - 8 Goal: Decrease the potential for violence in schools Objectives: students will be Less willing to bully others. More willing to empathize with peers who are targets of bullying. More willing to take a stand against bullying behavior. Synopsis of the play: (You may need to scroll down to read the entire synopsis) Susan (14 years old) needs money. She wants to buy her friend Robin a birthday present to beat all birthday presents. Susan's chance at earning the money comes in the form of a smelly, irritating young man named Rod. Rod is sick of being bullied. Nearly everyone in the school torments him, but the worst tormentor of all is J.J., a very popular student in spite of (or because of?) his mean streak. Rod offers Susan a hundred dollars if she will help him. Susan will earn her reward when she honestly believes that Rod has escaped being bullied for an entire day. Susan offers Rod advice about hygiene and attitude. She counsels Rod to stand up to J.J. without provoking him. Rod and Susan practice and Rod makes progress. In the meantime, Susan's friend Robin finds herself caught between Susan, who has begun to empathize with Rod, and J.J who has become willing to bestow status on Robin - a status she craves. When Robin sides with J.J., Susan finds herself the victim of bullying by both J.J. and Robin as they harass Susan about being in love with the repulsive Rod. Susan can escape the bullying if she distances herself from Rod. The problem is, her attempts to understand Rod are like a life preserver thrown to a drowning man. The more Susan tries to distance herself, the more Rod clings. Susan can't take the pressure. She vents her anger and frustration at Rod. Rod, feeling betrayed, makes veiled references to a violent response. Susan pleads with Rod not to become a bigger bully than J.J. At school the next day, Rod presents J.J. with a box wrapped in gift paper. Susan, Robin, and even the implacable J.J. fear the worst. Rod's gift is a big surprise. It proves a catalyst for change. In the last scene of the play, Robin aligns with Susan even though the alignment will almost certainly cost Robin her new popularity. Susan takes a stand against J.J. and defends Rod. As the play ends on a hopeful, yet cautiously realistic note, even J.J. changes enough for us to imagine that he might also contribute toward making the school a better, safer place for all.