"MEAN" the musical Youth Performance Company

The show follows 3 story lines that are currently at the forefront of today's media. There is one story about a slightly overweight girl (slightly meaning MAYBE 20-30 pounds over the BMI!) She is consistently being belittled for her weight, despite her kind heart and natural beauty. She soon learns about a web page with her name and cropped photos of herself and she wants to give up. Next is a group of 3 boys, one of them feels threatened by the others "perceived" sexuality. We watch as they banter back and forth trying to prove who each other is or is not. The last story is about a Muslim girl, innocent and just trying to fit in but still believe and respect her religion and choices. She hears questions like "Is that really a dog food sandwich?" We watch her ultimate frustration of just trying to be herself. At the end of each story that intertwine between each other we are shown ways, outlets and abilities to solve the bullying they are dealing with. As we view the set we see names. some you may know, others just a name that died from the pain. This is a powerful show that will leave you with so much thought and remembrance. If you go back to those years, you will remember things you may have wanted to forget. I dealt with bullying but watching this real story, written from real accounts, I see it is so much more intense. Most of us did not have cell phones to spread slam, FB was not around, the hate was more innocent … or was it? In my HS years there were 3 suicides, do we really know why they did that? Kids left schools all the times, rumors would go around like, I heard she was pregnant or he wanted a better school for sports. Why did so many alumni go missing? Put these puzzle pieces together, maybe some or for a real reason but I suspect many are simply from bullying. The difference today? This generation is more egotistical and tells us everything via media because we all know it is easier to write something then to say it to their face.Various times for show:"MEAN" Youth Performance Company At the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center in Mpls. Opens Feb. 10th and run through Feb. 27th. www.youthperformanceco.org