www.timcollinsonline.com

WE'VE MOVED!!!

GO TO THE ALL-NEW

TIMCOLLINSONLINE.COM

FOR THE LATEST INFO ON STANDING BY, STANDING UP, AND ALL OF TIM COLLINS' EDUCATIONAL ONE MAN SHOWS!

STANDING BY,
STANDING UP
a one-man show about Bullying and Violence Prevention

STANDING BY,
STANDING UP
depicts four young men challenged by bullying. This timely educational theater piece depicts various forms of Bullying, and follows the interwoven stories of a compelling range of characters as they either work to further, or prevent, violence.

STANDING BY,
STANDING UP,
aimed at 4th-12th grade students, confronts the serious consequences of bullying, cyberbullying, and exclusion, but also identifies hopeful outcomes and ways that students can prevent violence in their schools and lives.

for more information, email: info@timcollinsonline.com
314-651-2078

"Tremendously powerful! Every child, teen, and adult needs to see Tim's shows."

--Gina Mesnier, RN, MSN, Goldfarb School of Nursing

"AMAZING!"
--Trish Iaiennaro, Spanish Teacher, Imagine Academy of Careers
Middle School

"Fantastic. Was easy to follow & engaging. Great job in bringing cyber-bullying into the play...this is a HUGE issue, today."
--Alexandria Pepin, Teacher, Maplewood-Richmond Heights Middle School

"Very well developed, and the characters were very informational. I got a lot of insights into the thoughts and motivations of the characters."
-- Lauren Foerster, Mentoring Assistant,
Lutheran Family & Children's Services

"Standing By, Standing Up is very good! Realistic. It induced problem-solving-type thinking in our students. Entertaining!"
--Teacher, Imagine Academy of Careers Middle School

"This show is awesome!
Interesting, and it related well to children and teens."
--Lindsay Heisner, Lutheran Family & Children's Services

"I have seen other performances
that deal with Bullying,
and by far this is the best!" --JS

"Great Work!"
--Kelly Foster, Mentoring Facilitator

"Tim's portrayal of teens is spot-on. His information is current and the content is relevant."
--Lorien Carter, MSW, Asst. Professor of Practice,
Brown School of Social Work,
Washington University


UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:

January 24th

Maplewood Richmond
Heights School District
Maplewood, MO

January 27th

Chaminade Prep. School

February 10th

Healthy America Resource Fair

Florissant Valley Community College

February 13 & 17th

Adapt of Missouri
Saint Louis, MO

February 25th

United Church of Christ OAE Conference
Saint Louis, MO

March 15th

THE SPOT
presented by VSA Missouri
Saint Louis, MO

March 27th

V.V.S. High School
Verona, NY

March 27th

Oneida Public Library
Oneida, NY

Playwright Uses Theater to Help End Cycle of Violence

by Nicole Plegge on 11-28-2011

On December 1, parents and teens alike are invited to join Tim Collins for two powerful plays – The Script, which explores society’s misconceptions about dating violence, and Standing By, Standing Up, a closer look at the bullying epidemic.

From The Color Purple’s Celie to Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead,” the entertainment world has shined a spotlight on the issue of domestic violence, raising awareness through the eyes and voices of the women who live it every day.

Yet few ever get inside of the minds of the men who commit physically and sexually violent acts to explore why they believe violence is acceptable and how they justify their terrible actions - Information that could help stop the cycle of abuse.

Here in St. Louis, schools and nonprofits alike have welcomed actor and playwright Tim Collins to their stages. Through his one-man performance, The Script, Collins is using his heartfelt words to assist in ending dating and domestic violence before it starts. And on December 1^st, he’ll perform this celebrated play, along with his new work, the anti-bullying Standing By, Standing Up, at the Regional Arts Commission for a night of art and awareness.

The Story behind The Script

Like most individuals, Collins was aware there’s an issue of domestic and dating violence in this country, but it wasn’t until he began discussing the topic with the women in his life did the enormity of the epidemic take shape. Every female friend, every female family member had a story that hit close to home, whether it affected her acquaintance, her roommate or even herself.

Explained Collins, “No man I knew would say to me, ‘I wouldn’t feel safe walking by myself or running in this park.’ Men have a sort of privilege; they feel safe all the time. Women have to have a battle plan even if they’re just walking out of their house. They always have to have something prepared just in case – that’s a horrible way to live. I thought there surely must be something I could do to help.”

As an actor who studied at Marlboro College and Arts ED UK, Collins decided to direct his talents toward advocacy. Putting pen to paper, the playwright crafted The Script to target domestic and dating violence. The 40-minute play goes inside the minds of four young men in the wake of a sexual attack on a female classmate. Through his characters, Collins exposes the misconception of blaming the victim and explores how one’s inability to handle challenges to his masculinity can set him on a dangerous course toward violence.

In the past two years, The Script has not only struck a chord with theatergoers, but has grown into a critical teaching tool for a network of schools, nonprofits and other agencies across St. Louis. Collins regularly performs The Script for a variety of audiences, including students as young as eighth grade, as well as adults who themselves have been abusive to their partners.

Collins believes exposing the flaws of his characters is what has turned a passive theater experience into a passionate and educational conversation between himself and the audience. “I like portraying misinformed characters who say – this is what I believe – to get the audience to react and disagree with me. By showing all levels of understanding across the spectrum – from ignorance about domestic violence to some kind of enlightenment on the issue, that’s where the dialogue happens. I want my characters to change their limited viewpoints and hopefully the audience will learn alongside them.”

The Next Show in a Series

With the success of The Script, Collins decided to expand his reach in Fall 2011 with Standing By, Standing Up, which targets the reasons behind and consequences of today’s bullying epidemic. While Collins initially created the show to target middle and high schoolers, agencies encouraged him to expand it to children as young as fourth grade – a sad realization about the severity of the issue.

Yet, through Standing By, Standing Up, audiences discover ways to end bullying in their organizations. “I hope I created a show that lets kids look at the system of violence in their schools, and think, ‘Can I step in?’ ‘Can I identify people who are being bullied, but don’t have the skills or emotional knowledge to stop it?’ ‘Can I help create an environment where people are helped instead of hurt?’”

On Thursday, December 1, Collins will perform both The Script and Standing By, Standing Up at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd., at 6:30 p.m. The night will also feature a Resource Fair and Panel Discussion featuring local violence prevention agencies. There is no cost for the event, but donations will be accepted. Organizations who wish to have Collins perform at their facilities can contact him through www.timcollinssoloperformer.blogspot.com.

Moving forward, Collins is continuing to affect social change through his work on two new performances examining mental illness and sex education. “There are so many issues out there, from suicide prevention to heroin abuse,” he remarked. “There’s an infinite amount of shows, and an infinite number of agencies in St. Louis. I am so excited to be sharing my work with them to help others.”

By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting