GENERATION OF CHANGE: Videos of Truth

In a series of posts entitled 'GENERATION OF CHANGE' - TFC has proudly invited an elite group of young writers and artists from Texas Lutheran University to share their thoughts on participating in, producing, writing, editing, and shooting 'Videos of Change.'   Henry Moon, details his experience of synthesizing the human sex trafficking story into a 30 second awareness video for www.hopeforthesextrafficked.org.

Henry's first article can be found here. 

All videos produced will also be featured on theatreforchange.org.


Videos of Truth
By:  Henry Moon

Somewhere in the fog of sifting through the hours and hours of raw footage, my perspective changed. I learned something about myself. I, like others, had a lot of preconceived notions about the actual definition of sex trafficking.

I found myself entranced by one interview in particular - it was with a sex trafficking victim named, Wendy.  She was arrested along with an entire trafficking operation, including the pimp, after being a victim of slavery for 14 years. In the interview she also discussed the process of being picked up and dropped off by clients. She would check for weapons and hope they weren’t murderers (originally I wrote rapists as well, but in point of fact they are all rapists.) She spoke about her experience in such a matter-of-fact way. Like you or I would recount going to the store to buy bread. Her story caught me off guard.  I guess I had shielded my mind to keep these women one step away from reality. To me, these girls (and boys), these victims, had been like coma patients. Like somehow they had been asleep until they were rescued and suddenly they began to exist again. But this was her life, this was her reality.

Prior to watching the footage, I had my docushort completely "planned" out. But then I lost myself for a moment; her truth brought me grief. I contemplated my folly in pre-deciding what the final visual product of my 30 second docushort would be before I had a chance to truly hear from the victims themselves. How pompous of me to think I knew their story best. With that in mind, I pushed all of my past ideas aside and simply listened to this woman’s tragic tale. Her words flooded my mind with ideas, but none of them seemed broad enough. Then she led me to the best sound bite of all. She never wanted to be there. She was manipulated like all the other girls, molested like all the other girls, threatened like all the other girls. She was simply stating her piece of universal truth. Here was the story I would tell, and how poignant it was!

But. . .


Do we really need to make people "aware" that a prostitute does not want to be there? Do we really need to inform people that prostitutes are more often than not a victim of sex trafficking?

Yes.  Yes we do.
 

I came to the conclusion that the only way to inspire people to do good things is to give them truth and hope that they have the desire to hear it. Your average Joe on the street would not go out of his way to cause lifelong trauma to a little girl. So we need them to know that that is exactly what they are doing when they participate in prostitution or any other form of sex trafficking. If we can catch enough eyes and ears with this article, or with the video below, or with this cause - we will change the lives of the girls enslaved by this heart breaking “business.”

It’s easy to say you are not big enough to make a difference, but the truth is every voice, every word, every person who knows is fuel to the fire. I may just be a pyromaniac, but this is one fire I would love to see rage across our continent and even the world.

Truth is the change, so take this truth and share.

Below is a rough cut of Henry's video, a final edit will be posted on theatreforchange.org:

Seeing Red

by Jenni Morin

Enveloped by the darkness, an ember burns. Mark Rothko, played by Andrew Thornton, surveys his works as if to take an inventory. A young man in a suit enters, waits awkwardly at the entrance until daring to interrupt the artist’s thoughts with a knock. This awkward apprentice (Ken, played by Rodman Bolek) is motioned over to contemplate a painting. “What do you see?” Rothko asks. “Red.”

The Playhouse's production of Red. Photos by Siggi Ragnar.

The Playhouse invites audiences into Red, the intimate world of Mark Rothko, the abstract expressionist painter known for his blocks of color. The action of John Logan’s play takes place over the time in which Rothko paints a series of murals commissioned for The Four Seasons. Although the playwright takes liberties with the sequence and some details of Rothko’s biography, Red is Rothko’s journey to realizing he cannot let his works reside at The Four Seasons—an abrupt decision he made with a reason he took to his grave.

Mark Rothko seems to be a shallow artist, narcissistic, with an esoteric philosophy about the transcendent nature of his work. He quotes philosophers and goads his assistant about not knowing what he needs to know to be an artist. Thornton and Bolek handle the transition seamlessly from an awkward employer/employee relationship to a comfortable, at times contentious, mentor/mentee. The continuous narrative consists of incessant dialogue with poignant pauses carefully crafted by director Tim Hedgepeth. It is in these debates we discover Rothko’s attachment to his paintings reaches beyond mere vanity, as he sees them as an extension, a reflection of himself. He rejects being reduced to a noun, “a Rothko,” and in turn insists that red is not a color, but a thing, and that his paintings have a pulsating movement that keeps them alive.

As the play progresses, a paternal figure emerges. Rothko, in his own detached way, takes his assistant under his wing, teaching him about his great influencer Nietzche and how colors are more than pigments on canvas. Rothko expresses his fears of his works feeling hurt for being regarded in a way other than he intended, orphaned without their father even as the series should have strength in number. He talks about their vulnerability to natural and florescent light.

After years of philosophizing about his work, pontificating on tragedy and the ever-pulsating force of his paintings, the assistant counters asking if anyone is worthy to even see his art. It is also Rothko’s assistant who challenges his obsession with black and its clichéd meaning of death and how the color threatens to swallow his works and his life.

As his commissioned works approach their installation, Rothko is confronted by the commercialization of his success. His assistant likens him to his art forefathers, the cubists, when Rothko is distraught over the pop artists plotting to kill, committing patricide against, abstract expressionism. Hamlet references abound. Rothko’s deteriorating confidence in his pomposity and fear of eventual irrelevance overwhelms him as he is accused of selling out.

Red is a commentary on art, a metatheatrical discussion about the necessary coexistence of art, philosophy, culture, music and theatre. As theatre often holds a mirror up to society, Red begs a two-sided mirror where, if the light is just right, the artist beneath is illuminated from within the work; his pulse becomes that of the painting.

The Playhouse’s production of Red allows a focus on the artist’s relationship with his work rather than the enigmatic philosophy behind it. By resisting stereotypes of the painter and his apprentice, the actors and director do the script justice and are complimented by discernible musical choices and purposeful lighting. The performances of Thornton and Bolek are haunting and resonate well after the stage goes dark. Red challenges its audience to look beyond the medium of the work to the inherent reason and message and asks, "What do you see?"

Red opens at The Playhouse Cellar Theatre on Friday, Jan. 25 and runs through Feb. 17 with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday & Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.theplayhousesa.org.

GENERATION OF CHANGE: Human Sex Trafficking

Henry Moon, Writer

In a series of posts entitled 'GENERATION OF CHANGE' - TFC has proudly invited an elite group of young writers and artists from Texas Lutheran University to share their thoughts on participating in, producing, writing, editing, and shooting 'Videos of Change.'  Our first contributor, Henry Moon, details his experience of synthesizing the human sex trafficking story into a 30 second awareness video for www.hoprforthesextrafficked.org

All videos produced will also be featured on theatreforchange.org.


HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING
By:  Henry Moon


Over the next few weeks I will be narrating my personal foray into the world of Theatre For Change. I am currently part of a production team at Texas Lutheran University that is working on "Awareness Videos" for  theatreforchange.org.

Our process began, as it often does, with a discussion.  Documentary Filmaker and Founder of  theatreforchange.org, Kathlee Roscoe, came to campus and brought with her hundreds of hours of raw footage that showcased the dire plight of the human trafficking scene.  In spite of the shocking statistics and heartbreaking images, my profound lesson of the day was that human sex trafficking casts a wide net into pornography, strip clubs, massage parlors, and prostitution.

Armed with research and information, we collectively decided that our message is one of education and hope. Our goal is to empower all who are concerned with the safety and freedom of others, to act on behalf of the helpless.

Did you know that roughly 325,000 women and children are trafficked by the sex trade every year in America? Furthermore 20% of those trafficked are from right here in Texas with their average age being a mere 13 years old. Some are younger, some are older, but the point is there are thousands of children that are being taken from their homes and sold as a commodity. With statistics it is often a temptation to say how terrible those people who kidnap and sell children are and we neglect the people who pay them in dark alleys. Never forget the demand is as perverse as its suppliers. The myth that “the prostitute wants to be there” is laughable at best. So the next time you think viewing pornography, where 1 in 5 images is of a child under the age of 18, or going to the strip club is victimless, think again. 

My project will focus on the truth behind the sex industry that permeates our culture. The goal is to lift the thin glossy curtain that separates our happy lives from the mayhem that is happening only blocks away. Our team has been given some of the documentary film and an interview they acquired from someone who was rescued from the slave trade. With this one short PSA I’ll be taking the first step into a war, the war for human decency and morality, and the war for the minds of the people. Before you become your own personal Switzerland consider this, inaction is the enemy for evil does not rest and neither should we. If you still really believe that none of this affects you I would encourage you to take a drive and look around. If you don’t feel safe with the windows up and the doors locked think of the people who actually have a reason to fear for their lives every day.

What can I say with my finite outlook on my environment? The world, as I perceive it, has been shattered by truth. The shine is off the apple and the veneer of stereotyped social justification has been peeled back to show the ugly underbelly of our society. The human element, if you will, lurking in the shadows. I would be lying if I said that after in depth research on this matter I haven’t been looking over my shoulder every five minutes or double checking to make sure the door is in fact locked. This is amplified when my girlfriend is around, only then I am constantly checking for things that could be made into a weapon if the situation called for it. Thinking about it now it seems foolish and maybe that’s why the mass justification took place to begin with. People don’t want to look stupid at the grocery store checking under clothing racks or having their 15 year old daughter in the basket. So why waste your time worrying about what might happen? People want and possibly even need to feel safe (I know I do) and we do what they can to reach that equilibrium. After all what else can you do when you don’t know from moment to moment what might happen? Isn’t that the scariest thing of all?


**FINAL VIDEOS WILL BE UPLOADED IN A FEW WEEKS!**

Celebrating Volunteers of Change

By:  Shannon Ivey

Anyone who has ever worked in the theatre knows well that if it wasn't for the volunteers, there would be no theatre.  Below is a video submitted by The Playhouse President/CEO and TFC Contributor, Asia Ciaravino.  On January 11th, The Playhouse threw a party and created this tribute video to celebrate all of the hard work the community is doing to promote Theatre For Change. 

Congratulations to The Playhouse and all of its volunteers!

Theatre For Change & "Annie" at The Playhouse

"I AM CELSO"

By: Jose Ruben De Leon

 I AM CELSO remains an amazing accomplishment, both as a literary masterpiece and as a reflection of theatrical excellence. Rubén Sierra and Jorge Huerta brilliantly crafted this stage adaptation from the poetry of Leo Romero. The one-person show features the bittersweet and colorful tales of Celso, an old philosopher from the barrio, the local drunk who preaches "the gospel of the holy grape." He transcends the ethnic stereotype of the American Southwest and becomes an Everyman who struggles with the universal challenges of life. Celso's comic, dreamy monologue reflects the Shakespearean wise fool, "scared and annoyed my own stupidity."

The Realities of Annie

 By:  Shannon Ivey


Last night was “Foster and Adoption Awareness Night” at ThePlayhouse’s production of Annie in downtown San Antonio, Texas.  The house was filled with foster children and foster families, as well as child advocates from The Department of Family ProtectiveServices (DFPS), The Legacy Ranch, and Adoption Angels.  It is an understatement to say that Annie was viewed from a far deeper perspective than that of a typical audience member getting their fill of seasonal theatre fluff.

Annie is a musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and book by Thomas Meehan.  The story is set in 1933 New York City and centers around an infectiously optimistic orphan named ‘Annie’ – played by powerhouse belter, Marissa Ramon.   The Playhouse cast does a fantastic job of singing their way through the depression-era woes, with standout performances by: Elise Lopez in the role of the drunk and surly Miss Hannigan; Sara Brookes as the ever-feminine Grace Farrel; and Oliva Silva as the ridiculously cute and lisp-ridden orphan, Molly.

Olivia Silva, 8, playing Molly, right, performs with Tess Acosta, 16, center, and Ava Schweninger, 13, playing Pepper, during a dress rehearsal of Annie at The Playhouse on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012. MICHAEL MILLER / FOR THE EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: Michael Miller, Freelance / © San Antonio Express-News

The New York Times estimates that Annie is produced anywhere from 700-900 times in the United States during any given year, at any given theatre.  This is a show we all know well.  Or, do we?

The inciting incident, or the event that moves the plot forward, is when Annie is pulled from the “Municipal Girls Orphanage” to spend Christmas with billionaire businessman Oliver Warbucks – played by the refreshingly vulnerable, William McCrary.  In today’s world, trying to place children so they do not spend the holidays alone is a very real, very dire problem.  Texas is the second most populated foster-to-adopt system, narrowly following California.  With an estimated 30,000 children from ages 0-17 running through our system each year, safely placing “orphans” in certified foster homes is a REALLY, REALLY BIG problem.

Unlike Annie, most real world orphans get pulled from their biological families because of physical/sexual/emotional abuse, neglect, sex trafficking, their parents are incarcerated, and/or they are born addicted to drugs.  Anyone who has worked within the system for any length of time will tell you that the stories of these brilliant innocents never cease to shock, and never seem end.  That said, and regardless of what heinous event placed the children into the system in the first place - most of them, like Annie, have a deep-seated longing to reunify with their birth parents.   

Oliver Warbucks (who for all intents and purposes is a Foster parent) exposes her to the riches of life and wants nothing more than to give Annie her heart's desire and launches a nation-wide search for Annie’s biological parents.  The foster-to-adopt process is far less glamorous.  The stories vary from case to case, but to provide an example:  Many foster families know the birth parents of their precious kids well, since they have to monitor visits that may or may not happen.  Exposing them to the “riches of life” may include much-needed therapy, access to food, shelter, education, a bed, and most importantly, stability and unconditional, unwavering love.  

After vetting the thousands of vultures claiming to be Annie’s birth parents, only to find that most of them are simply after the $50,000 reward, Annie meets a couple who seem to have concrete evidence of their child’s birthright.  Unfortunately, like Annie, sifting through potential foster families who aren’t after the state-funded stipend (which isn’t much!) is difficult and foster children must often go through several foster families before they land in a “forever home.”  This is a painful, heart breaking, and unavoidable part of these children’s journey.  Thankfully, child advocates like Stacy Palm, Lori Cervantes, and Sondra Ajasin from the Legacy Ranch (who were in the audience) are working tirelessly to minimize this pain and place each and every child they encounter.

In the end, and after a long journey, Annie is “placed.”  She finds that her birth parents died long ago and accepts the adoption proposal from her foster father and re-labels him the now famous, “Daddy Warbucks.”  The "end" for children in care is often just the beginning.  Around a quarter of the children within the system get “adopted out.”  Many of them reunify with their birth parents.  Many of them find their way back into the system.  Many of them drop out of high school.  Many of them will end up in jail.  These are all children with a “Hard Knock Life” who want nothing more than love and for the “Sun to Come Out Tomorrow.” 

Ramon and McCrary play Annie and Daddy Warbucks. 

Stacy Palm, Compliance Business Manager, Family Link/Legacy Ranch, said after last night’s performance, “I am really fond of this tale, as it gives children in care a "princess" of their own.  Children in care do feel as though they are alone in the world and it's important for them to have someone they can relate to. Every day I see miracles occur when we place kids, who have been through worse than I can imagine, into loving homes that focus on helping to heal that child.  These kids need someone to love them, to believe in them, and to show them a better life.  We get calls every day asking if we have a home for every race, gender, and sibling group size.  We do not have enough homes to place all these kids.  Consider opening your heart and home.  I always hear from people, "Oh, but it would hurt me too bad if the foster children have to leave."  Well ask yourself, how hurt do you think that child is every day that they don't have a home?”  

The ONLY way the sun will ever come out for these children is for the adults of our world to be brave enough to look this problem dead in the face, courageous enough to get involved, and vulnerable enough to be loved by a broken child. 

LOVED BY A BROKEN CHILD?!?!?

Ah, yes!!  That’s the part that sneaks up on you. . .the love.  I promise, the minute that  you allow these children to enter into your life to flourish, to shine, and to grow – their love is so overwhelming that you too will be singing, “I don’t need anything but you!”   

Please consider supporting this ageless tale in its final weekend of performances.  For more information, please visit:  http://www.theplayhousesa.org/  

**Special thanks to The Playhouse for donating 150 tickets to the foster children and their families from The Legacy Ranch.  The Department of Family Protective Services.  The Adoption Angels.  Texas Lutheran University.  The cast and crew.  And most of all,  the audience who was committed to Theatre for Social Change!  May this be the only one of many poignant and inspiring events in the San Antonio Theatre Community!***