Name: Tiffany Kontoyiannis
School & Year: BC ‘16
What inspired you to write “The Cycle”?
When I was in 7th grade I found myself being bullied by two of my closest friends. This not only caused me to feel extremely depressed at the time, but made me feel extremely insecure. Unfortunately the dean who handled my case didn’t fix anything; although I decided to stay at that same school, I found myself wanting to change the way bullying was viewed and handled. Two years later, I saw a news report about a girl who had committed suicide because she was bullied. I had done my best to suppress all the emotions from when I was bullied, but in that moment decided that I wasn’t going to do that and began by writing a monologue.
With the help of my guidance counselor, my school allowed me to talk to parents about bullying and showcase my monologue. I eventually wrote a scene about my story. Soon enough, I was asked to present my scenes and monologues to my peers. Within that school year I had enough material to create a play and decided to name it “The Cycle.” At the age of 15, I began traveling around different schools in my community, presenting the play to students and parents. Every presentation would be followed by a discussion session to help students talk about the issues at their schools and inform parents and administrators about bullying.
What made you want to bring the play to New York City?
I want my project to really inspire and help as many schools as possible. Having grown up here for half of my earlier life, I’ve come to see that life in New York can be pretty sheltered. Although it’s great that parents want to protect their children, I think it’s important that students learn about these topics and openly discuss them in controlled and safe environments. By pretending everything is fine, we won’t solve the problem. I think New York is a great place to bring this important topic to light.
How has your experience with the play evolved since it was first performed?
When I first wrote this project, I was still trying to find my voice. I hadn’t spoken about my bullying experience because I was embarrassed; I didn’t want to bring back those horrible memories. However, the moment I realized that exposing my story would help others, I found this new confidence. I began surrounding myself with people who believed in the cause and saw that we all are capable of making a difference. I definitely feel blessed that my play can help people, but I feel like it has made the biggest impact on my life.
Do you plan to continue working on this cause after college?
100%. My goal is to continue working with schools by help them implement certain anti-bullying programs. “The Cycle,” is definitely something I encourage schools to use. The visual arts is something that has the power to change the world by actually showing an audience what you want them to see. I’m in the process of making this a legitimate non-profit and hope I can help as many schools around the world.
Fun facts?
1. I don’t drink coffee but I do drink chocolate milk to wake me up. I sometimes put it in a coffee cup to look like a regular college student.
2. I’m obsessed with makeup and interior design.
3. I have a freakish obsession with Audrey Hepburn. I have about 10 pictures/ posters of her hanging up in my dorm room (I also have a computer decal of her on my laptop).