She Has A Name

Last night I went to a play called "She Has A Name." Written by the brilliant Andrew Kooman, performed by Burnt Thicket Theatre, this play was far better than the (cheesy) video trailer for it implied.

When I worked in Cameroon against child trafficking, it was hard. The complete and utter inadequacy of response - mine, and those around me, was something that you just don't understand unless you've been there. Kooman gets it, and that's what made this play great.

His character "Jason," the protagonist, was brought to life by Aaron Krogman in a way that helped everyone in the room understand what it's like to work against child trafficking. You hate yourself. You hate the world around you. You hate the reality you're faced with but you can't leave it once you know it exists. The tension between Jason and his wife made for a poignantly real scene, showcasing the difficulties of fighting trafficking. Everything that I had felt, everything that I had gone through, he went through it too. It was a relief to see other people communicate so clearly the things that I felt and experienced in such a powerful way. I was so grateful that this play didn't trivialize, or stereotype, but instead clearly outlined the complexity of life as a trafficked person.

Denise Wong was amazing as "Number 18," the girl who once had a family but now works in a brothel. She comes on to Jason in the first act and appears to enjoy what she's doing, grabbing at the front of his pants playfully, almost childishly. Denise brings out the psyche of her character brilliantly, understanding that Number 18 is still a child, just one who lives in a world of rape. We come to see that she is responding in the only way she knows how, in order to survive. It is painful to watch, and even more painful to remember.

The play brought up a lot of hard memories that have been long buried for me. I, unlike Jason, did not see it through. I decided it wasn't for me, and I left. Ironic that I now find myself working with trafficking victims right here in Canada - from the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre to InSite. I can't escape it, can't just live in suburban bliss. Like Jason, I've tried, but I can't turn a blind eye to injustice now that I know it's out there. This play was healing for me in that I realized it's okay to feel the pain of human trafficking.  I was hesitant at first when human trafficking became the "Christian" thing to fight against, just another fad in the church. I was active before it was "cool," and it was hard to be around so many people who would say "that's horrible" and then change the topic to the weather. Now, people are starting to realize that we can't just ignore it. It won't be a fad if we keep fighting it until things change. This play completely dissolves any ideas of jumping on bandwagons by forcing us to face how difficult the reality is. It's worth seeing.

Two things you can do. The first is go see the play. The second is to pray about what next step you should be taking - be it donating towards the cross-canada tour of the play, getting involved with an anti-trafficking agency, or raising awareness in your own social circles.