About

The Vision:

After a very successful world premiere in February and March of 2011, Burnt Thicket Theatre in partnership with Raise Their Voice is bringing the story of She Has A Name across Canada. Our mutual goal is to produce powerful theatre in cities across the nation to compel thousands of more individuals to engage theatre and the story of human trafficking in a meaningful way.

A Brief History:

In January of 2010 Burnt Thicket Theatre hosted a workshop of Andrew Kooman’s She Has A Name. At the conclusion of the workshop we read the play for an invited audience.  After the reading we asked the audience for their feedback.  One gentleman asked if it was possible to simply sit quietly for a while in the impact of the play.  When the audience did offer feedback the discussion quickly turned to what could be done about the injustice of  human trafficking.  This response compelled us to find a way to produce She Has A Name.

Fast forward one year.  On March 12, 2011 we packed up She Has A Name, said good-bye to Red Deer, thanked our team and took a deep breath.  We had just experienced an incredible three week run.  We could not have anticipated things going any better.   There was so much to celebrate. We were sold out for the entire three week run in Calgary and Red Deer, received excellent reviews in major newspapers, began important relationships with a number of organizations, were able to financially honor our artists, and best of all saw impacted audience members ask how they could take action against human trafficking.

We now find ourselves compelled to tell this story as extensively as possible.  Interest from across North America indicates that the timing is right that She Has A Name is a story people are ready to hear and respond to.

[We have had numerous requests to tour in the United States and internationally.  Please email info@raisetheirvoice.com for inquiries and requests to stage She Has A Name in the USA and beyond.]

Andrew Kooman

Andrew holds a BA in English from the University of Calgary through Red Deer College.  He has lived, created and volunteered in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.  His plays Shelter, Joseph and She Has A Name were official selections of Scripts At Work in Red Deer and have been granted workshops and public readings in Canada and the United States, including the 2008 Nextfest Festival of the Arts.  She Has A Name was given the 2009 SAW/APN Award and had a critically acclaimed, sold out world premiere in the spring of 2011.  Andrew is the author of Ten Silver Coins: The Drylings of Acchora a novel for young audiences, Disappointed by Hope: Migrants and Refugees in Search of a Better Country, and God/he a collection of poetry.  His work has been published around the world and translated into ten languages.

Burnt Thicket Theatre

Burnt Thicket Theatre is an emerging Alberta company committed to enliven [restore life to] audiences through original performance, via an ensemble of artists seeking to integrate spiritual and artistic practices in the creation of new theatre works.

Founded in 2007 Burnt Thicket’s inaugural production Hockey Dad: A Play in 3 Periods has seen nearly fifty performances touring Alberta: Calgary, Red Deer, Airdrie, Strathmore, Edson, Three Hills, And Cold Lake at the 2010 Alberta Winter Games.  Highlights of 2010 included touring to Vancouver, BC during the 2010 Winter Olympics and making our first foray into the world of the Fringe Festival.  Hockey Dad was well received at both the Winnipeg Fringe, where it was chosen the Sponsor Production, and at the Saskatoon Fringe.

Read more about Burnt Thicket Theatre at www.burntthicket.com

Raise Their Voice Against Injustice

With a heart for the oppressed and a mind committed to action, Raise Their Voice, uses story, song, theatre, film and practical acts of mercy to address the plight of vulnerable and exploited people and relieve suffering. Raise Their Voice is incorporated under the Alberta Societies Act

Learn more about Raise Their Voice and its work at www.raisetheirvoice.com