She Has A Name was given the 2009 Scripts At Work/Alberta Playwright Network Award. It received dramaturgical input from a committee of the Alberta Playwright Network in the Spring of2009 under the oversight of APN director Johanne Deleeuw. In January 2010, the play underwent a workshop with Burnt Thicket Theatre of Calgary, Alberta under the direction of Steve Waldshmidt, a process which culminated in a public reading of the play on January 10, 2010.
In October 2010, the play will have a public reading in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a series of readings to follow in Alberta in October and November 2010. Burnt Thicket Theatre in partnership with Raise Their Voice produced the World Premiere of She Has A Name to sold out audiences in Calgary in February 2011, followed by a sold out run of performances in Red Deer. In 2012 the play toured Canada for 6 months in 13 cities from Halifax to Victoria.
She Has A Name had its World Premiere in Calgary, Alberta in 2011 garnering critical praise and selling out each show. It also received critical praise with its new cast in 2012 when the play toured Canada from coast to coast.
Since the successful tour, the play has been produced across North America by both professional and community theatres in places like New York, California, Alberta, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
In December 2016 She Has A Name made its big screen debut. The Unveil Studios film was adapted for the screen by Andrew Kooman The film stars Will Yun Lee, Eugenia Yuan, Teresa Ting, Giovanni Mocibob and Gil Bellows. The film received the Audience Choice Award at the 2017 Central Alberta Film Festival and was nominated for 5 Alberta Film and Television Awards. The Calgary Herald called the fill a “Riveting, fast-paced political thriller” while the Red Deer Express named it a “Cinematic triumph.”
In 2016 was a big year for the play. Andrew adapted the play for a US/Mexico version that is currently being translated into Spanish. This contextualized version of for Latin America premiered Off-Broadway in January and February of 2017 in New York City.
2011 World Premiere Info
- Venue: The Motel Space @ The Epcor Centre – Calgary, Alberta
- Dates: February 23 – March 5, 2011
- Producing Theatre Company: Burnt Thicket Theatre in partnership with Raise Their Voice
World Premiere Cast and Creative Team:
- Aaron Krogman JASON / PIMP
- Denise Wong NUMBER 18 / VOICE 1
- Glenda Warkentin MARTA / VOICE 3
- Cari Russell ALI / VOICE 4
- Sienna Howell-Holden MAMMA / VOICE 2
- Julie Serger STAGE MANAGER
- Stephen Waldschmidt DIRECTOR
- Jaylene Wiebe COSTUME DESIGNER
- Anton De Groot LIGHTING DESIGNER
- Luke Ertman COMPOSER / SOUND DESIGNER
- Alida Lowe PRODUCTION MANAGER
- James Popoff PRODUCER / TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
- Deanne Bertsch CHOREOGRAPHER
2012 Canadian Tour Info
- LETHBRIDGE | May 23 – 27 – Sterndale Bennett Theatre (preview show on May 22)
- SASKATOON | May 30 – June 2 – BackStage Stage, Remai Arts Centre
- OTTAWA | June 6 – 10 – Academic Hall Theatre, University of Ottawa
- MONTREAL | June 16 – 24 – Montreal Fringe Festival
- HALIFAX | July 3 – 11 – Studio Stage, Neptune Theatre
- WINNIPEG | July 18 – 29 – Winnipeg Fringe Festival
- CALGARY | August 3 – 11 – Calgary Fringe Festival – The Lantern
- VICTORIA | August 24 – September 3 – Victoria Fringe Festival
- VANCOUVER | September 6 – 16 – Vancouver Fringe – Festival Firehall Arts Centre
- KELOWNA | September 18 – 21 – Mary Irwin Theatre, Rotary Centre for the Arts
- EDMONTON | September 25 – 30 – Catalyst Theatre
- RED DEER | October 2 – 6 – Scott Block Theatre
Canadian Tour Cast and Creative Team:
- Carl Kennedy JASON / PIMP
- Evelyn Chew NUMBER 18 / VOICE 1
- Glenda Warkentin MARTA / VOICE 3
- Alysa Van Haastert ALI / VOICE 4
- Sienna Howell-Holden MAMMA / VOICE 2
- Brad G. Graham TOUR + STAGE MANAGER
- Stephen Waldschmidt DIRECTOR
- Jaylene Wiebe COSTUME DESIGNER
- Anton De Groot LIGHTING DESIGNER
- Luke Ertman COMPOSER / SOUND DESIGNER
- Alida Lowe PRODUCING DIRECTOR
- James Popoff ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
- Karl Sine* FIGHT DIRECTOR
- Deanne Bertsch CHOREOGRAPHER
- * Appeared courtesy of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
Other Productions and Readings
2013 Dates and Locations
- NEW YORK CITY | October 17 -24 – Readings at Hunter College
2014 Dates and Locations
- FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA | May 2 – June 22 – Production by Freefall Stage
- CALIFORNIA | September – December – California Tour
- EDMONTON, ALBERTA | November TBD– L’uniTheatre 2015 Dates and Locations
- CLAREMORE, OKLAHOMA | February 5 and 6 – Rogers State University Staged Readings
- LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA | March 1 – Bucknell University
- THREE HILLS, ALBERTA | March 2015 – Prairie Bible College
Critical Acclaim
“5 STARS ABSOLUTE MUST SEE! Be a witness to She Has a Name and you’ll never be the same.”
Ignite 107“A heart-wrenching hit!”
Calgary Sun“Without a doubt, the most worthwhile piece of theatre I’ve ever seen.”
Art Threat“If you truly love theatre, you must see this play!”
Folsom Telegraph“A polished play with an urgent message about human trafficking.”
Montreal Gazette