Dunbar has been Green Dot-affiliated for many years, a violence prevention program that empowers individuals to take action against harassment and power-based personal violence. 

This initiative aligns perfectly with the themes of Mean Girls, Dunbar’s upcoming theater production.

“Our show is all about bullying, so it’s important that we understand that message fully,” Aneesh Nair, who plays Kevin G, said. 

“It’s not just for the play; but about how we treat everyone we meet.”

The plot of Mean Girls follows Katie Heron, a high school student, who transforms from a shy, out-of-place girl to someone obsessed with fitting in.

“We’ve seen a lot of negative behavior, and we want to change that– not only with the show’s message but by improving ourselves individually and as a group,” senior Rivers Jones, who plays Katie Heron, said.

Green Dot teaches proactive and reactive intervention strategies, helping students and staff create safer school environments. 

The school also does bystander training, which is more specialized.

“We try to pick kids who are in a lot of different situations so that if they see something, they can be kind of a leader in that situation,” school psychologist Patrick Ballard said.

He said that the Mean Girls cast is trained not only because of the nature of the performance, but because of the cast itself.

“The cast is eclectic in many ways, but what stands out is their ability to speak up and ensure their voices are heard,” he said.

“We’ve been working really hard to put things together and make it the best show that we can to really showcase our Dunbar pride,” Nadya Shliakhau, who plays Mrs. Norberry, the math teacher, said.

The Mean Girls production has been rehearsing since August 2024 and gave their performances January 30 to February 1, and the cast invites the community to attend and be part of an important conversation about creating a more positive, inclusive school environment.

Stay tuned for the Mean Girls production review.