Standing up to the Hairy Man, Wiley learned the lesson that he can stand up for himself and showed the Hairy Man that he could not be picked on anymore.

During the play “Wiley and the Hairy Man,” characters Wiley, Mammy, Hairy Man and dog portray the idea of bullying and self-confidence.

Jason Rutkowski, a senior theater arts major who played the Hairy Man, said he enjoyed performing during the show.

“It is so fun and amazing to do a kids show and interact with little kids,” Rutkowski said.

Rutkowski said that throughout the play, the audience can see Wiley start standing up for himself and believe in himself.

Wiley in the beginning, despite his mother’s encouragement, believes that he will never be as great of a conjure person like his mother, and this belief makes him a target for the Hairy Man.

Wiley, played by Andrew Swanson, a junior theater arts major, believes it was the Hairy Man who killed his father and wants to get him.

In order for Wiley to beat the Hairy Man, he must trick him three times.

Wiley believes that he can not do it and thinks it is only with the help of his Mammy and his dog, Dawg, that he will be safe.

Mammy, played by Courtney Marks, a junior theater arts major, tried to tell Wiley that it is only him that can stop the Hairy Man.

As Mammy Marks said, “There ain’t no magic, nor no dog that can protect you every minute.”

Throughout his adventure to defeat the Hairy Man, Wiley uses things his mother taught him, and his own knowledge, like the Hairy Man’s fear of dogs, to trick the Hairy Man.

One example of a trick is deceiving the Hairy Man to get rid of rope for miles around, which releases Dawg from his lease to come and protect Wiley.

While Wiley thinks it was all done with the help of Mammy, friends and dog, Mammy tells him it was all him.

Rutkowski said he hoped the children in the audience learned the lesson Mammy was trying to teach Wiley.

“If you stand up to your bullies, they aren’t so scary anymore,” Rutkowski said. “Even the biggest, scariest bully has a weakness or a fear, mine obviously being dogs.”

Rutkowski said that bullying is something that audience members have dealt with or will have to deal with in their lives.

“They learn to be brave and stand up for themselves,” Rutkowski said. “And that’s with anything, bullies, overcoming a fear.”

In the play, Wiley has to overcome his fear of the Hairy Man. Whenever the Hairy Man was about to appear, the cast members would sing a song saying “Stampin’ Stompin; coming through the trees, shuffling through the swamp grass, blowing in the breeze, bounding pounding fast as he can. What did Wiley see? He saw the Hairy Man.”

This song would send fear into Wiley and he would run away, until the end when he pronounced he did not see anything.

“Overcome that fear, because once you are over it, you don’t have to worry about it any more and you’ll be happier,” Rutkowski said.

Noel Chi, 6, said he found the play really interesting.

“I like the part of the play when there were lights all around,” Chi said.

This part of the play is when Wiley made it snow in the house.

Chi said her favorite character was Wiley.

“He outsmarted the Hairy Man, and he was a good actor and did very well in the play,” Chi said.

Amy Robertson, a junior math major, said she found the play interesting but was sure she would have liked it better as a kid.

“It shows that you can overcome evil,” Robertson said.

Kaitlyn Dagenais, a junior psychology major, said she like the meaning behind the play.

“If you stand up to your bullies, they’re not scary anymore and even bullies have a weakness and fear.”

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.