MACON, Ga. — For Macon Little Theatre, you don't just wear pink on Wednesdays.
'Mean Girls,' directed by Sylvia Haynie alongside Laura Voss, is heading into its opening weekend with much more than singing and dancing.
They're connecting with audiences to address the show's main theme head-on: bullying.
The theatre's family shows have expanded to include kids ages 12 to 18, but it's also expanded how they're sharing the shows' themes with audiences.
Despite the story being nearly 20 years old, Haynie says the messages are still relevant.
"We wanted to be able to outreach to people who may come and be in the audience and say 'Oh my goodness, I'm guilty of that I've been mean to people,' or 'Somebody's being mean to me,'" Haynie said.
After their Saturday matinee, the cast will host an open "talk-back" session to discuss the show's themes, while sharing anti-bullying resources.
"It's hard to play an unlikeable character, and we acknowledged that from the very beginning," Haynie said. "We try to make being in shows here very open and welcoming ... We did a lot of things to make sure they bonded with the cast overall."
They also have a display of a "No-Burn Book," which includes anonymous positive messages sent in by the cast, about the cast.
Haynie says the show's messages can apply to people beyond their teenage years.
"We can't ignore the fact that there have been some dramatically upsetting things happening for high school students," Haynie said. "So, I hope that they watch the play and then both cast and audience people realize 'How I feel is uniquely human.'
'Mean Girls' opens Friday at 7:30 PM and will run through Sunday afternoon at the Macon Little Theatre at 4220 Forsyth Rd.
Tickets can be purchased here.