Lower and middle-school students at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton are tackling the growing problem of bullying in a series of plays Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9.

The one-act plays -- free and open to the public -- will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in Ravi Auditorium at Sacred Heart Schools, 150 Valparaiso Ave. in Atherton.

The plays were "commissioned in response to the growing epidemic of bullying and the all-too-often tragic results," said Millie Lee, communications director at Sacred Heart Schools. "The plays are touching, imaginative, powerful, uplifting, and funny -- including a botched chemistry experiment that creates a horde of homophobic teen zombie bullies; a teenager poignantly relates to his dad how a bullied classmate resorted to physical violence; and three dinosaurs at a museum surprise three bickering kids on a school outing."

The plays are intended to "challenge, inspire and enlighten both the actors and the audience, allowing us to open the conversation on the issue of bullying in a constructive and creative way," she said in an announcement. 

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.