Have you heard the saying, “Art has the capacity to unravel the emotional recesses in one’s soul”? An audience composed of opera artists and other such industry insiders got an opportunity to internalize this saying during the Community & Industry Premier of “Angel’s Bone”, at the Annex in downtown Vancouver. This Pulitzer Prize winning contemporary opera has been adapted for a Canadian audience as it explores the invisibilized stories of victims and survivors of human trafficking.
On entering the theater, a projector displays global statistics and educational information about human trafficking. We are given a synopsis that contains a content warning mentioning the potentially triggering nature of the production. This production portrays the insidious nature of abusive cycles and asks the audience some very hard-hitting questions such as: What leads someone to perpetrate something as heinous as human trafficking? What influences or forces a person to take advantage of another’s vulnerability? Who benefits from this exploitative industry and what kind of people and systems might be complicit in enabling its existence?
The content warning in the synopsis and the mind-numbing statistics displayed in the beginning did not seem to evoke much tenderness in the audience. I noticed how that had changed drastically after watching the performance.
The opera narrates the story of Mr. and Mrs. XE who are involved in recruiting youths and angels for nefarious reasons. Alyssa Samson and Alexander Dobson are stunning and effectively bring out the humans residing inside human rights violators. The story, however, is centered on the angel children who are unassuming victims of human greed and the resulting ambition for power. Asitha Tennekoon delivers an unforgettable performance as the Boy Angel who is desperate to fly away from the abusive trap of his traffickers. Eliza Bagg’s role as Angel Girl is sure to leave an indelible mark in the minds of audiences. The performance delves into the nuanced layers of emotional codependency, cycles of trauma and degeneration of humanity’s innate goodness amongst the perpetrators, enablers and clients who prey upon vulnerable human bodies. When Mrs. XE tries to find a way out of her complex trauma, we are left questioning our own complicity in glorifying trauma porn as a tool to build compassion and empathy.
The music score, set design, costumes, lighting and dialogues are intentionally crafted to evoke a transformative understanding of the exploitative nature and ubiquity of this billion dollar industry. Every element of the production explores how human emotions are taken for granted, commodified and invisibilized in the current capitalist, hetero-patriachal society. The colossal damage done to humanity as a whole needs to be acknowledged and addressed. That being said, collective healing is not impossible. The survivors who bear testimony to unspeakable acts of human cruelty possess enormous wisdom and they are taking leadership in helping everyone out of these seemingly unending cycles of violence and abuse.
A fair warning: this production might not be suitable for everyone. The severity of the topic at hand and the glaring depictions of violence might leave you in a confused and dark emotional space. That being said, this opera has the potential to arouse empathy and awareness at a visceral level. Mental health practitioners and social workers who work with at-risk youth and survivors of emotional and sexual trauma are sure to gain an embodied perspective of the issue at hand. At a time when we are grappling with conversations about decolonizing our healthcare systems, contemporary productions like Angel’s Bone become educational toolkits to help move the conversation forward in the right direction. If you or anyone in your life is headed on a journey to address early childhood trauma or any such tender topic, “Angel’s Bone” might help you contextualize the severity and complexity of such struggles. Everyone has agency to inspire change in society. We just need to open our hearts and minds and be willing to experience the whole range of emotions that come up in such moments of transformation.
The production team has put in incredible effort to create a sensitive and open environment for the audience and the performers alike. A social context committee that consists of mental health practitioners, survivors of human trafficking and social workers in this field have collaborated to enable a safe space for all the heavy emotions experienced during the show. Learning the stories of the vulnerable survivors who’s agency is robbed over and over again requires tremendous emotional awareness. The first 15 minutes are reserved for opening remarks and contemplative meditation that sets the mood for the evocative performance. The committee will also steer a post-show Q&A session to discuss the different themes in the performance that open up conversations and provide a lens to educate and create awareness. There are ample moments and opportunities to debrief and navigate around potentially triggering realizations that may arise during the show. The audience is encouraged to access the educational and support resources here.
A national collaboration co-produced by re:Naissance Opera, Sound the Alarm Music/Theatre, Loose Tea Music Theatre, Arraymusic, and Turning Point Ensemble, this opera inspires social education and emotional awareness through bold and creatively charged storytelling. The all-Canadian production is debuting at Indiefest 2022 from November 25-27th. You can book your tickets here.
– Annapoorna Shruthi