Cootie Shots: Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids, Parents, and Teachers

by Norma Bowles

For nearly two years, Fringe Benefits, a team of professional artists, teachers, parents and youth, have been working to concoct Cootie Shots, a delicious assortment of plays, songs and interactive performance pieces that promote tolerance and celebrate diversity by presenting role models of people of many different races, classes, genders, abilities, sexual orientations, religions, shapes and sizes. In all, Cootie Shots is comprised of about 50 2-15 minute educational plays for Elementary School audiences.The lessons covered are:

o Love is what makes a family
o Children should feel free to play with whatever toys appeal to them, study whatever subjects interest them and choose career paths unhindered by gender stereotypes
o Name-calling is never acceptable
o Putting people down because how they look and whom they love is neither kind nor fair.

The cast of characters includes:

Rapunzel
Rosa Parks
Cesar Chavez
Harvey Milk
Emily Dickinson
Alexander the Great
The Statue of Liberty
and more!

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Bri Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I saw this book I thought it looked overly childish even for CHILDREN'S theatre, but inside it's actually so real and perfect. It's just sweet and honest and very real portrayal of the things that kids are facing everyday with their identity. Please, please, please produce this show if you get a chance because the scenes, even as vignettes, are phenomenal.