Spec 10s React to "Stickboy"
In October, the Spec 10s attended the opera "Stickboy", written by Canada's own Shane Koyczan, the award-winning spoken-word poet. Here are some of their thoughts...
"This opera was definitely remarkable. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it ever since I saw it. "Stickboy" is the first opera I have ever seen and it realy brought up an interest in operas for me. It was quite different. Although it was similar to a play, the fact that the words were sang made me feel more emotions...It reminded me of all the pain and hardships I have been through and it makes me glad that I battled through it, making me a stronger person."
*****
"The most impressive aspects of the Stickboy Opera [were] probably the animation backdrops and the accompaniment music. The animation expressed what the singers could not and left a haunting image in the viewer's mind...In the conclusion of the opera, an image of the boy falling and falling, with Koyczan's voiceover was a very beautiful way to impress upon the viewers the brutality of being bullied."
*****
"Stickboy" the [opera] had many powerful symbols, themes, visuals and words on the issues of bullying, demonstrating the performance's effective and bone-chilling methods to spread the message about bullying. The portrayal of what happened to the boy was very realistic, but it also made the audience experience the realities of being bullied--the pain, torment, and sorrow--and being a bully--the explosive anger, regret and longing for things to change...The [opera] forced the audience to endure a heartwrenching scene and the shock that came with the scene also says something to the audience: we all need to be more informed about bullying, not just read about it, but be there for those who have been bullied and help end it."
