As Bright Star prepares to enter its 21st school year, we wanted to share a message from our company founder, David Ostergaard, about the big “Why” of our Bully Prevention programming. I thought the message was important to share early in the school year, and I think you will agree. – Josh Batenhorst, CEO

Dear friends,

When I reflect back on my time in school it’s fond memories of teachers that brought creativity and love to the classroom, it’s the iconic pizza slices, the school assemblies and the good friends. Unfortunately, like millions of others, these memories are sometimes tarnished by the darkest years of my life where I found myself being bullied on a near daily basis.

When I had the opportunity to create our first season with Bright Star—an anti-bullying show for the youngest grades was so important to me. I wanted our young audiences to hear these messages of hope, to understand that they weren’t alone and feel empowered to seek help to end it.

I am writing this appeal to express the deep importance of addressing and combating bullying in your community and beyond. Bullying is not just a trivial matter; it has profound and lasting effects on the lives of those who experience it. As someone who values compassion, understanding, and the well-being of others, I believe that taking a stand against bullying is a moral obligation that we all share.

Bright Star has long been a leader in our field providing a strong season of anti-bullying programming that seeks to serve audiences of all ages.

I have experienced firsthand how bullying can lead to emotional trauma, low self-esteem, anxiety, and even depression for the victims. These negative consequences extend beyond childhood and can continue to impact individuals throughout their lives. By promoting an environment that is free from bullying, we not only protect the mental and emotional health of our young people but also foster a sense of belonging and unity.

Furthermore, I firmly believe that promoting antibullying initiatives contributes to building a stronger, more empathetic society. When we actively work to prevent bullying, we send a clear message that kindness, respect, and inclusivity are our shared values. By educating ourselves and others about the effects of bullying, we empower individuals to become allies, standing up against harassment and discrimination in all forms.

As we strive for a more harmonious and compassionate world, let us remember that every person deserves to feel safe, valued, and accepted. By prioritizing antibullying efforts, we not only create a better present but also pave the way for a brighter future where every individual can thrive without the fear of mistreatment.

Thank you for considering my appeal. Together, we can make a meaningful difference and create a community where kindness prevails over cruelty.

We are living through uncertain times where bullies have been given megaphones in our daily lives through the media and politics of our age.

I hope sincerely you’ll join our mission in bringing light to the dark corners of our own lives and the young people that rely on us to be their voice.

Your commitment to the cause means so much. As I reflect back, I think most warmly of Dr. Tony Baldwin in my high school that helped to bring an end to four years of bullying and helped make my final two years of high school something full of sweet memories.

We each have this power to change the life of a young person today.

Sincerely,

David Ostergaard

Company Owner/Founder

If you would like to make some of Bright Star’s Bully Prevention programming a part of your school year, reach out to schedule a performance or purchase an online show. Email josh@brightstartheatre.com or give us a call at 336-558-7360.

Want to see spellbound students engaged and having fun while learning? Our Spring Tours will do the trick! For the Spring, we’re featuring shows about incredible women in American History, Earth Day and STEM, and classic literature!

+ Learn about Amelia Earhart, Sacajawea, Susan B. Anthony and more inspiring women from American history in We Can Do It: American Women in History. Available on Tours Spring 1 2023, Spring 1.5 2023, and Spring 1 2024.

+ Kids take the stage to engineer a device for gathering water, build a toy from recycled materials, and more in Gus Goes Green: Earth Day Edition. Available on Tours Spring 2 2023 and Spring 1 2024.

+ Creating an entire fairy tale from the janitor’s cart? Our hilarious and popular Upcycled Cinderella proves that a little creativity and ingenuity can go a long way! Available on Tours Spring 1 2023, Spring 1.5 2023, and Spring 1 2024.

And yes, we do still have a few openings for our 2023 Spring Tours!

If you’re ready to book for 2024, we’re ready, too! In fact, we’ve just announced our titles! We’re proud to announce a brand new show debuting in 2024: Dr. Bestlife’s Rx For Success: Healthy Choices for a Happy Life which gives audiences great ideas for navigating social media, building healthy friendships, and more!

We LOVE visiting you in person! But we know that there’s not always time for a live assembly. That’s why we created the Bright Star Super Station, a collection of 38 shows (and counting!) available anytime to stream.

Our pre-recorded shows offer amazing flexibility and with a school subscription to the Bright Star Super Station, your school can have access to ALL of our pre-recorded shows for one low price! Plus, as we add more titles, we’ll make sure you know that those are now a part of your subscription.

For $1195 your school can have access for up to 20 classrooms to watch any show at any time for an entire calendar year! Plus, all of our shows come with study guides and are connected to state and national standards which make them a great fit for any school.

Prices are increasing in January 2023, so we invite you to take advantage of this offer now – and have access to these shows all the way through December 2023!

Subscribe to the Bright Star Super Station for shows that focus on:

• Bully Prevention & Character Education
• Black History
• STEM
• History & Social Studies
• Holiday
• Classic Literature & Folktales

We can’t wait to see you this summer! To book your show, give us a call at 336-558-7360 or email us at booking@brightstartheatre.com.

Theatre is one of the best activities that students can do to build important language skills like speaking, listening and language fluency. Theatre builds creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking skills while helping students to practice empathy, social awareness and resilience.
Best of all – Bright Star shows, workshops, residencies and camps make a great complement to whatever you have planned for your students this summer. Using techniques and skills taught by our amazing teaching artists, your students will build their own sketch show based on their interest and the camp themes.

We are available this summer across the country to help your school, library or performing arts organization serve students and families. Camps and residencies can be designed to fit your schedule. Just give us a call to start planning your program!

You provide the space and campers – We provide the teaching artists and curriculum.
5 Day Camp Pricing Starts at $4995!

One of the most important things we do at Bright Star, is help students learn how to develop healthy relationships and comabat bullying. It has been a part of our mission from the very beginning and now we are in our 20th year of presenting shows that help students learn to identify and confront bullying wherever they find it.

A school assembly with Bright Star can be the perfect way to introduce important Social -Emotional Learning topics including bullying, online safety, positive attention, cultural awareness and so much more! If it is part of your mission to help students navigate a complicated world filled with difficult relationships and emotions, then Bright Star wants to bring one of our shows to YOU!

Bright Star has a number of shows and programs that can infuse your Social-Emotional Learning and Bully Prevention programming with the power of theatre! October is national Bully Prevention month. All of Bright Star’s shows have a strong character education component, helping students make sense of the larger world, understand other cultures, and learn to navigate tricky social situations. Check out our Fall Tours below!

Fall Tour 1

Turkey Trouble on Friendly Acres Farm

Everything has been so wonderful down on Friendly Acres Farm, that is, until a bullying turkey starts picking on the other farm animals and making life harder for everyone. Farmer Jim and his faithful dog must stop this bullying bird to save Friendly Acres.

Little Red and the Big Bully Wolf

The woods are scary enough without having to worry about a big bully howling in the shadows! Follow Little Red and meet her friends – the three little pigs, the Gingerbread Man, and more – as they learn to face their fears and stand up to the Big Bully Wolf! Learn to identify, report and resist bullying and develop healthy friendships as we follow Little Red on her journey to grandma’s house. Funny, dramatic, and highly entertaining!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

One of the first true classics of American literature, this is an authentic retelling of Washington Irving’s story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman! When Ichabod Crane takes a new job as schoolmaster of Sleepy Hollow, he was expecting to have a simple life, but things get complicated very quickly! This tale is just spooky enough to delight any audience as the days get shorter, the air gets colder, and the nights turn long and dark. A perfect introduction to this literary classic.

Fall Tour 2

The Lady of Bullyburg

The Lady of Bullyburg is our longest running bully prevention production because it has been heralded by educators and librarians for its power to change lives through lessons of friendship and kindness. Join Lady Kindness as she saves her town from a visiting bully while learning a variety of empowering tools along the way. A fairy tale that helps young audiences learn that a world built on kindness is not just a fantasy!

Maximus Mars

In a world where technology and society are changing at the speed of light, our hero, Maximus Mars, stands ready to challenge bullies wherever they may be found – in real life, online, or out of this world! Maximus Mars: An Intergalactic Bully Prevention Adventure stretches the imagination while exploring the challenges that students in middle grades face in the modern world – cyberbullying, electronic media, texting and more. Students need practical strategies for dealing with today’s pressures and Maximus Mars addresses those challenges in a direct and creative way.

A Tell-Tale Tale: The Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

No one tells a story quite like the Great Edgar Allan Poe! In A Tell-Tale Tale these spooky and clever stories and poems come to life before your very eyes. With a mastery of language that few can match, Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and poems are as impactful today as they were in the 19th century when they were written. This show blends rich language with expert storytelling to produce a rich language arts experience for middle grades. Stories include “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” “The Bells” and more!

Fall Tour 3

Captain Friendship

Captain Friendship is our super fun, super impactful, superhero themed bully prevention circus adventure! There’s trouble under the big top as the Bully Bandit has struck fear in the hearts of all the performers. It’s up to one superhero to stand up and make a difference – Captain Friendship! Audiences learn to stand up to the Bully Bandit and find that kindness is the ultimate super-power!

FrankenSTEM

Dr. Frank N. Stein is one of the world’s most famous scientists. Along with his trusty assistant, Igor, Dr. Stein has created some of the world’s most amazing inventions! But those inventions would be nothing without YOUR imagination. It will take Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to make his latest masterpiece come to life! This show helps students learn why STEM subjects are so important to the modern world while opening up an exciting world of STEM discovery. Back by popular demand, see why audiences made this our most popular STEM show ever!

Friend Request

A series of fun and informative vignettes, Friend Request explores the good and bad parts of social media and online culture. Technology can be great, but it also comes with some serious temptations and pitfalls. This quirky show gives your audience practical ways to address issues like cyberbullying, online safety, and understanding how to have positive relationships with friends both online and in real life.

Wouldn’t it be great to have next year’s school assemblies planned before summer break?

Bright Star has incredible year round programming but we’re hoping to get a jump on fall as we plan for next year, so we’re running a special for the month of May.

Book an in-person show for Fall and get $50 off!
Book a show for Fall and any other season (Holiday, Winter, Spring, Summer) and get $50 off each booking.
You can also get $50 off a virtual show by ALSO booking an in-person show for Fall.

This offer is not good with any previous offers and will be only good for the month of May so plan for next Fall now!

TO BOOK:
Call 336.558.7360 or email
booking@brightstartheatre.com

Bright Star is the #1 name in theatrical programming for:

• School Assemblies
• Library Summer Reading Programs
• Theatre Field Trips
• Workshops
• Residencies
• Summer Camps
• Online Programs

This is our 20th anniversary season and we are so excited to share our incredible shows with you. We have new shows, old favorites and year-round programming available Coast to Coast!

PLUS – Book before MAY 1 and get this year’s prices on next year’s shows!