Grateful to see this article in the Calgary Sun about the play:

Actor makes Name in trafficking play

FIRST POSTED: FRIDAY, MAY 04, 2012 01:44 PM MDT | UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 04, 2012 02:19 PM MDT

Carl Kennedy is quickly making a name for himself in Canadian theatre.

Morris Ertman, the artistic director of Rosebud Theatre, caught the The North Carolina native in Vancouver in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Ertman knew that Stephen Waldschmidt was looking for someone to replace Aaron Krogman in the national tour of Burnt Thicket Theatre’s harrowing drama She Has A Name.

“Stephen got hold of me and allowed me to skype my audition with him,” says Kennedy, a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle.

In She Has A Name , Kennedy plays both Jason, a young Canadian lawyer trying to expose the sex trade in Thailand and a notorious pimp who controls Jason’s key witness.

“It’s incredible. I get to play both Jason and the man he hates the most in Thailand.

“This dual role is important to one of the themes in the play.

“We all have the propensity for evil in us. It’s just a matter of giving in to those urges or denying them.

“Jason could be the pimp just as the pimp could be Jason, given a different set of circumstances in their lives.”

When Kennedy learned he had been cast he immediately began researching human trafficking.

“We live in a digital world so there was so much I could read on the Internet. Also, Andrew Kooman’s play is so thorough, insightful and revealing.”

One of the things Kennedy learned early on in rehearsals for She Has a Name is “this is not a problem of Third World countries. It is a universal problem.

“Any town or city in Canada that has a major truck stop has been a portal for human trafficking.”

Kennedy will be spending the next five months in Canada ada touring with She Has a Name.

The national tour begins on May 23 in Lethbridge and visits Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary, before heading to Saskatoon, Ottawa, Halifax, Victoria and Vancouver.

“I’m getting to sweep through Canada. I feel truly blessed.

“I have an incredible role and a magnificent play and I get to see Canada. Things bigger and beyond me have made this all possible.”

There will be a fundraiser for She Has a Name on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Foothills Alliance Church at 333 Edgepark Blvd. N.W.

The $10 admission includes gourmet desserts and hors d’oeuvres and an art auction of local painters.

Kennedy and his co-star Evelyn Chew will perform a scene from She Has A Name.

View the original article here: http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/05/04/actor-makes-name-in-trafficking-play

It was a privilege to be a guest for an hour tonight on Glendene Grant’s blog talk radio show to talk about the tour and her missing daughter Jessie Foster.  I first connected with Glendene when she left a comment on a post on this site and we’ve since become friends.

Glendene spoke at an event Raise Their Voice put on in Red Deer last April and has become a strong and compassionate advocate for parents with missing children.

We covered a lot of ground, survived some technical difficulties, and it was a pleasure to be her guest.

You can listen to our conversation here: Andrew Kooman talks on Blog Talk Radio with Glendene Grant.

I blab at the following minute marks (if you want to listen to what I have to say and can only do byte-sizes:
13:19; 16:05; 27:25; 37:10; 39:32; 43:20; 47:12; 49:19; 52:23; 54:00; 55:25; 61:29; 66:49; 73:03

Shannon LeClair

My friend Glendene sent me this note that I want to pass along.  She’s a mom, whose daughter went missing from North Las Vegas on March 29, 2006 - six years ago.  The thought sends chills through my body.  Missing!  For six years. In that time, Glendene has worked tirelessly to find her daughter, and in the process has become an advocate and strong voice in Canada for victims of human trafficking.

March 26, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JESSIE FOSTER, missing 6 years (since March 29, 2006) – NEW AGE ENHANCEMENT DRAWING RELEASED

I would like to announce the release of an age enhancement drawing of Jessie (below), to the approximate age of 28 years old, by Canadian Certified Forensic Artist, Diana P. Trepkov. Diana also did others drawings of Jessie 2 years ago when she was missing 4 years and almost 25 years old. Diana and Glendene were on CTV’s Canada AM to announce the release of those drawings.(Website: http://www.forensicsbydiana.com)

Jessie Foster disappeared from North Las Vegas on March 29, 2006 after being taken there from Canada in the spring of 2005, ending up in Las Vegas on May 13, 2005. She was kept in Las Vegas for 10 months, during which she was beaten, hospitalized with a broken jaw, forced to work at an escort service and arrested for solicitation of prostitution.

Jessie is known by all who know her as a good girl, a good person, and certainly not one to go to another country and work in the illegal sex-trade. Jessie was forced into that life after she was taken away from the security of her family and friends and beaten and brainwashed to do as she was told.

Jessie is Canada’s most well-known missing human trafficking victim and she has become a ‘poster-child’ for this crime nationally and internationally. People around the world pray for Jessie’s return, at the same time they are very grateful to have learned about this horrific crime that took this beautiful daughter, sister, friend away.

Jessie’s mother does anything and everything she can to raise awareness about her daughter’s disappearance with the hopes that she is found (alive or not, Jessie needs to come home). Hosting a BlogTalkRadio show about the missing & exploited and human trafficking (http://tinyurl.com/GlendenesBTRshow), giving very important human trafficking awareness presentations around the country at high schools, colleges and universities and for other organizations that are fighting to combat human trafficking – including being invited by the City of Moncton, New Brunswick to speak at their REALITY vs. MYTH human trafficking conference next month. The keynote speaker for that event is Victor Malarek, from CTV’s W5 and the author of the anti-human trafficking books: THE NATASHA and THE JOHNS. (Link to event: http://tinyurl.com/MonctonNB-RealityVsMyth)

Jessie’s case has been written about in at least 8 books; told about in documentaries; and it has been in hundreds of newspaper & magazine articles; radio interviews and TV news broadcasts.

Jessie had a song written for her by songwriter Nigel Graham from the United Kingdom called “JESSIE’S SONG” and available on iTunes and Amazon for just 99¢ to download. Nigel’s songs have been written about in the news several times, and Jessie’s case has been in the London, England newspaper twice. (Sunderland Echo, London, England articles: http://tinyurl.com/JessieSongSunderlandEcho / http://tinyurl.com/BenSongSunderlandEcho / iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/JessieSongiTunes / Amazon:http://tinyurl.com/JessieSongAMAZON)  

In May to coincide with International Missing Children’s Day on the 25th (and coincidentally, Jessie’s 28th birthday on the 27th) there will be a video released by Australian singer/songwriter/musician Lee Safar called “PROJECT MISSING SWEET ANGEL”(whose music can be heard on the soundtrack of the Twilight movie series) to go with her song called “SWEET ANGEL”, which will have 25 posters of missing people, including Jessie. THIS WILL BE RELEASED INTERNATIONALLY. (Website:http://leesafar.com / Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5wWLB8iED8)

My younger brother Daniel will occasionally slip out of the country and travel to far reaching places.  He usually brings a camera.  His latest film brought him to 5 continents and after a few years of work, travel, and mind-boggling experience, he’s put together a surprising film. I’d venture to say A Filmmaker’s Search For Revival is a film unlike any other you’ve seen.

It’s a privilege to watch Dan walk his creative journey and to share in it as well; it’s instructive and challenging for me to witness and participate in his spiritual pilgrimage too.

In the tradition of interviewing bold artists, activists and thinkers, I decided to ask Dan 10 Qs about his latest film.

Daniel Kooman in Tanzania with Juma and Haruna, the subjects of his 2007 documentary Africa Sing Me Your Song

Andrew Kooman:  How did you grow as a filmmaker in the process of shooting and producing the film?

Daniel Kooman: The filmmaking process on this project stretched me in a number of ways. One of the biggest ones was going to completely new locations and experiencing brand new cultures sometimes daily on the production and capturing the stories of people totally on the fly. I had the shots or stories in mind that I wanted to capture, and the nature of the filming was that I had one shot at getting these stories and generally one camera angle to get them with. It was an exciting challenge. Secondly, the production was broken up into 3 main segments over the course of two years. So I had to get back into the same frame of mind creatively for each shoot.

AK: Who are some of the filmmakers who inspire you and whose work you’d like to emulate?

DK: I really appreciate filmmakers that transport you to a new location. The first filmmaker that comes to mind is Danny Boyle. In Slumdog Millionaire he communicated the location of India in such a way that it became another character in the story. This film is a journey to 5 continents, so there wasn’t as much time available to focus on any single location, but I tried to show as much imagery from a country or location as time allowed so the viewer has a sense of the culture and setting and feels transported in some way to that place.

AK: Where do you consider yourself to be in the creative journey and what motivates you to continue to walk it out?

DK: I definitely feel the growth and development from every project that I work on. It is motivating because each project shapes and stretches me. The people I meet from the places that I’ve been around the world inspire me. It is also motivating to tell a story and be able to share it with an audience and watch them experience it for the first time.

AK: What was the trigger that set you off on your trip around the world in search of revival?

DK: It’s funny because I just remembered this yesterday. In 2006 I was working on a construction project in Red Deer. I had returned from my first feature-length project with the Unveil Studios gang and was dreaming about new projects. It came into my head, this idea of filming people as they experienced physical miracles and whether or not miracles were real and if they could be captured on camera. That was just an idea locked away in my brain, and then I met David Youngren in the Fall and he was traveling around the world and telling all kinds of stories about miracles taking place as he shared this message of hope with people. I wanted to find out if the stories were true, and it was the perfect partnership to put my idea to the test. I was pleasantly surprised by the results.

AK: Revival is a word that I assume people won’t have a lukewarm response to, they’ll either be hot or cold toward it.  How do you define it?

When I looked up the definition near the beginning of the project it talks about an awakening in a person, and restoration of life, consciousness and strength. Those became keywords and images I searched for on my journey. When it came to miracles, there were situations unfolding right in front of me where life, consciousness and strength were physically being awakened in people in a shining moment. So I define Revival as an awakening in a single person that changes their life.

AK: What would you say to people who question whether or not revival is or can be real, who come across your film?

DK: I think the natural response of many people is to question anything they haven’t personally experienced or maybe even at some point had a negative personal experience with. Personally I went on this journey testing whether revival or miracles were real as well, so I think it’s a good journey to go on. Possibly the most important part of that journey is being willing to put our own hesitations or conclusions on the shelf occasionally and ponder something new again. If the miracles and revival are real and there is evidence of it, we get to make the choice whether or not to believe it. It’s a personal decision and I hope that some people with those questions will give this film a chance.

AK: What countries did you visit in the process of producing the film? Why these countries?

DK: Tanzania, South Africa, Greece, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, India, USA, Canada, Mexico and Colombia. The longest stops were Tanzania and South Africa, Colombia, Sweden and Croatia. The reason for these countries was to establish unique people groups and areas of the world, as well as focus on both developed and developing nations. David Youngren also had connections in many of the countries which was a great help in transportation, accommodation and translating, which were important everywhere we went.

AK: Did you notice ways, among all the countries you visited, in which revival looked the same?  How did revival look different in the countries you visited?

DK: Revival looked the same in that people from completely different cultures and who spoke different languages responded in very similar ways when they experienced that personal transformation and awakening. At the same time it was also unique or different in some ways, for example in Africa and South America, where the response was especially passionate and the people responded at times with reckless abandon.

AK: What surprised you throughout the process – were there assumptions you had that proved false or true?

DK: I was surprised to find the unity, so to speak, in how people from the unique nations I visited proved in many ways very similar. I thought there would be more differences than I found. But as you’ll see in the film, the biggest surprise for me was that on my search for corporate revival I ultimately found personal revelation.

AK: How has your understanding of the word revival or experience of it changed through the process of making this film?

DK: I now understand the word revival, in it’s most personal context: of the heart of a single person being transformed or awakened. Despite the many miracles I saw on the journey, that personal transformation remains the greatest miracle of all. And revival in the corporate sense isn’t necessarily the goal. Revival as many perceive it, as seen in some cities and even nations is the response or result of all those individual transformations added together. So I get really excited to see that awakening in one person, because it’s the passion of the one that creates the momentum for the family, the city, the nation and the world.

##

Pre-order and download A Filmmaker’s Search for Revival here.

Follow Daniel on twitter | facebook | vimeo

Read more interviews between AK and other bold artists, activists and thinkers here.

It’s so nice to have a filmmaker and editor in the family. I’m grateful to my bro Matt, of Unveil Studios, who does such quick and professional work. He made this trailer go a mile with footage captured during a rehearsal of the World Premiere in a space that required much improvisation.

Watching this footage excites me. We’re putting so much work to get the tour on its legs, that I often forget about the story. Seeing this trailer reminds me of the play itself, the moments that come alive, the journey of Jason and 18. What a thrill to see your work find breath, life, animation through talented actors.

I’m proud to share with you this short trailer, and eager to invite you to see the play as it goes on tour.

Enjoy!

Thematman put together this promo for the She Has A Name tour.  Looking forward to uploading more interviews with the creative team and some actors in the upcoming weeks.

We’re looking for different ways to make the tour a reality.  If you have ideas, connections, or resources that would help, please drop me a line!

You can learn all about the tour here.

A few years ago I saw a poster in a hallway filled with posters at the Red Deer College.  It had a simple question: Have you ever thought of writing a play?  It was a serendipitous moment in my life, to say the least.  The question landed in me with much force.  I had an impression for a story at the time – just a seed – and I didn’t know how to write it.  It wasn’t a novel, it wasn’t even a short story.  It was centred in dialogue.  The question posed on the small 11×14 inch piece of paper helped open the door to solve the riddle that what I needed to write was a play, and it began a whole new chapter in my writing life.

Tanya Ryga is partly to blame!  As co-founder of Scripts at Work in Red Deer and an instructor for 20 years, Tanya has helped to open many such doors for people across Canada.  For me it was by being part of an incredible playwright series in central Alberta that offers opportunity to new and emerging playwrights through workshops and an annual Playwright Competition that for eight years has given writers the privilege to learn from leading Canadian theatre professionals.

If you’ve stopped by my site before, you know I like to ask questions of artists, activists, and bold thinkers.  And so I wanted to pick Tanya’s brain about theatre in central Alberta, the creative process and why she has given much of her career to championing and developing the talent in others.

I connected with her through email in Red Deer, in the lead up to the Scripts at Work annual playwright competition in the 2011/12 Series.

 Andrew Kooman: Who are some of the artists that have most inspired you in your career?

Tanya Ryga: The ‘big picture’ inspirations for me came from those out of reach: Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, William Shakespeare, Tom Waits. But closer to home I’ve been fortunate to know and/ or work with artists who give me day-to-day moments of ‘gasp’ as well. Artists you might know? David More , Glynis Boultbee, Lynda Adams, definitely Larry Reese.

AK:. What do you love about theatre?

TR: Everything. Doing it, reading it, seeing it.

AK: What should people know about theatre in central Alberta that they don’t?

TR: Theatrical activity is thriving. We have more companies doing theatre than ever before – there is always something on. There are setbacks, sure, but theatre companies are very resourceful, exceedingly supportive of each other and the audiences are enthusiastic. The type of theatre available to see is broadening all the time – and that means audiences are wanting choices. In the midst of all the creativity Scripts at Work has emerged to flush out and support the growing number of playwrights in the area.

AK: What first drew you into acting? What drew you into instructing theatre artists?

TR: My father was one of Canada’s foremost playwrights but that wasn’t what did it for me. No, I thought he typed for a living. What hooked me was when Holiday Playhouse (the touring arm of the Vancouver Playhouse) brought a production of Romeo and Juliet to my school. It’s the first time I remember ever seeing a play. At twelve I signed up for summer school with that company and have never stopped doing and learning about theatre. One who loves to learn is eventually lured back to school. I’ve been an instructor at RDC for 20 years.

AK: Tell me about the beginnings of Scripts at Work: why did you start it and with who?

TR: There have always been Acting students who are also writing plays or wanting to write for theatre. During the winter of 2004 with the help of theatre faculty, current students and alumni an evening of brand new short plays was presented on campus to a surprisingly enthusiastic audience. Who knew? The idea for an annual play competition grew from there. Lynda Adams was the founding faculty member and has kept SAW going and growing since then. It has a talented Advisory Board and brings professional dramaturgs and directors to Central Alberta annually to work with our emerging playwrights and local actors. SAW playwrights have had successful productions of their works here and elsewhere plus continue to write for theatre and film.

AK: When I’ve connect with people who’ve had the fortune to work with you or learn from you, they always comment on your generosity and say you’re their biggest encouragement. What motivates you to foster and develop talent?

TR: Gosh. I could be flippant and say ‘compliments like that!’ Teachers are always in a privileged position to encourage and develop others. In the arts, working with others is always about process and creation. Something is being created and there is often no template. It’s so important to thrive in the not knowing and just trust in the talent all around. As for developing that talent, if you can see it in them so will they.

AK: Dramaturgy is a term many people aren’t familiar with. How do you define it and why is it important in the theatre world?

TR: Every province has organizations that provide supports to writers and new plays. In Alberta we have many: Alberta Playwrights Network, Scripts at Work , the Citadel and Banff Playwrights Colony to name a few. Rarely do plays go from creator to production without a dramaturgical process. Mentorship can come from any of these organizations or a dramaturg may be provided by the theatre company who is producing the new play. Together the writer and dramaturg look at every aspect of the play from theme to structure to character arc.

Scripts at Work -- Promotional Photo

A lot of questions are asked to ensure that what the writer is thinking is actually on the page. With an existing play that we are preparing to direct or rehearse we will mine the world of the play and the world of the characters to get a deeper understanding of the work. That process can also be referred to as dramaturgy.

AK: Why is Scripts at Work important for the arts in Red Deer and central Alberta?

TR: SAW has provided opportunities for over 70 playwrights and 150 actors since it began eight years ago. There are workshops such as ‘How to Write a Play’ and ‘Stand And Deliver-for actors. Two playwright Circles are offered where new plays are written, developed or adapted for film under the guidance of a professional dramaturg. SAW is most known for its development of winning plays from the annual playwright competition culminating in staged readings at the Festival of New Plays in Red Deer.

AK: What has surprised you about Scripts at Work over the last 8 years, and where do you see it going in the future?

TR: I’m surprised at the number of people wishing to write for theatre but I’m not surprised at how good the writing is. SAW has thrived due to thousands of volunteer hours and the dedication of those involved humbles and cheers me. Artists from the professional theatre community are happy to come to work with our writers and actors, or serve as jurors reading all the plays submitted to the competition and I’m always surprised and thrilled with this generosity. We get financial support annually from the Alberta Foundation of The Arts and the City of Red Deer, which helps us bring in the professional artists but everything else is done by volunteers and organizers – people who love the theatre.

I see the programs growing. We’ve very occasionally had longer intensives for the full length plays and we’d like to be able to offer more of that.

Something new for us recently is partnering with Central Alberta Theatre to showcase the plays once the SAW phase of development is complete. We dream about having the capacity to fully mount one of the SAW plays one day, but our biggest contribution continues to be encouraging writing.

##

About Tanya Ryga: As a long-time instructor in the theatre program at Red Deer College, Tanya Ryga has taught many of the artists who are writing, directing and acting in theatre productions all over Canada and beyond. She received a Women of Excellence Awards for Community Building (2010) from the Red Deer & District Community Foundation for her work with Scripts at Work and two theatre companies: Butt Ugly and BITE: Body Image Theatre Education for which she is the Artistic Director.

To learn more about Scripts at work visit www.scriptsatwork.com

MP Joy Smith Proposes Criminal Code Amendments to Enhance Canada’s Trafficking In Persons Offences

Ottawa, ON: Monday, Conservative Member of Parliament Joy Smith introduced a Private Members’ Bill to make two important amendments that will help combat modern day slavery in Canada and abroad.

The Private Members’ Bill, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons), will amend the current trafficking in persons offence by providing an evidentiary aid to courts that enhances the definition of exploitation.

“Currently, the definition of exploitation in the human trafficking offence does not provide specific examples of exploitive conduct. As I spoke to prosecutors and law enforcement across Canada, I began to hear of the challenges this presented,” said MP Joy Smith. “My amendment will add an evidentiary aid for the Court to provide clear examples of exploitation such as the use of threats, violence, coercion, and fraudulent means.”

Secondly, the Bill will amend the Criminal Code to enable Canadian human traffickers to be prosecuted in Canada when the offence occurs outside of Canada.

“Human trafficking is an egregious crime that is often carried out across international borders,” said MP Joy Smith. “While Canada has adopted stiff penalties for criminals who traffic victims into, through, and from Canada, it is important that we also prosecute Canadians who traffic or enslave vulnerable populations in other countries.”

MP Smith’s Private Members’ Bill has already received strong support from Canadian human trafficking experts, survivors and non-governmental organizations:

Prof. Benjamin Perrin, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law, and author of Invisible Chains: Canada’s Underground World of Human Trafficking (Penguin, 2011)

“Human traffickers have evaded prosecution for their heinous crimes, in part, because Canada’s criminal laws are not explicit enough to clearly encompass the range of tactics employed by these serial exploiters. Member of Parliament Joy Smith is again responding to concerns by police and victims’ groups in seeking to amend our human trafficking laws to hold traffickers accountable and protect victims. I call on all Parliamentarians to support this initiative.”

Jamie McIntosh, Executive Director, International Justice Mission Canada
“The crime of human trafficking often transgresses international boundaries, with vulnerable men, women, and children subject to its devastating reach. Human traffickers, including those of Canadian nationality, will persist in their illicit trade if they believe their crimes will go unpunished. Extending authority to prosecute Canadians for human trafficking crimes committed abroad is an important step in the global fight against human trafficking. As a nation, we must commit to prosecuting Canadian nationals who commit these crimes, regardless of geographical location at the time of offence.”

Timea Nagy, Program Director, Walk With Me
“As an internationally trafficked survivor, who has been working with Canadian law enforcement to help human trafficking victims, I am absolutely thrilled to see this legislation presented by Mrs. Smith. It is clear, that Mrs. Smith has consulted professionals, experts from the field, and listened. This Bill will help Canadian law enforcement and prosecutors to be able to do their job and send a message to traffickers around the world, that Canada does not tolerate this crime against human dignity.”

K. Brian McConaghy, Founding Director, Ratanak International
“It is imperative that Canada continues to maintain and enhance a position of strength combating modern day slavery both domestic and international. It is a given that we must protect those weak among us who are at risk of being trafficked. It is no less important that we protect those in other countries from Canadian predators who would traffic in human lives. Such Canadians must be held fully accountable for their actions. This amendment, conforming to international legal norms, positions Canada to do just that and as such is to be commended.”

Shae Invidiata, Founder, [free-them]
“In conjunction with The Act and The Purpose, The United Nations deems a case to be human trafficking if ‘threatened of’ or ‘use of violence, force, coercions, fraudulent misrepresentation or fraudulent means’ is used. Without any hesitation these methods constitute exploitation and, in supporting Mrs. Smith’s Private Members Bill, should be amended into the Criminal Code of Canada.”

Prior to presenting her Private Members’ Bill today, MP Joy Smith will be recognized for her anti-human trafficking efforts. UN Women Canada National Committee will be honouring her at a special luncheon with the UN Women Canada 2011 Recognition of Achievements Award.

MP Joy Smith has placed fourth on the Order of Precedence for Private Members’ Business. The Order of Precedence consists of the items of Private Members’ Business that are scheduled for debate in the House and is chosen randomly at the beginning of each Parliament. In 2009, MP Joy Smith placed third on the Order of Precedence and brought forward Bill C-268. This legislation successfully passed into law creating Canada’s first child trafficking offence with mandatory minimum sentences.