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Minnesotasexabusesurvivorfinds
healinginnewplay'Trust'
AnewplayopeningthisweekinMinneapolislooksatclergysex
abusefromavictim'sperspective.
ByRohanPreston(http://www.startribune.com/rohanpreston/10645706/)StarTribune
AUGUST11,20166:36PM
JamesHanson,anactorandreligionprofessoratSt.OlafCollegeinNortheld,Minn.,
wasdoingasoloshowabouttheapostlePaulacoupleofyearsagowhenheshareda
secretwithJohnWoehrle.
HansontoldWoehrlethathehadbeenmolestedasateenagerbyaLutheranpastorin
Moorhead,Minn.,wherehegrewup.Theclericwasafamilyfriend.
Woehrle,aplaywright,actor,directorandteacherwhowashelpingHansonstagethe
production,consoledhim.HesuggestedthatHansonsharehisstoryinaplay.
WhileclergyabusehasgottenalotofpressinmovieslikeSpotlightandothershows,
therehasntbeenalotfromthevictimsperspective,Hansonsaid.Iwantedtoshow
therippleeectsoftheabuseonthevictim,thefamily,thecommunityatlarge.Its
corrosiveanduglystuthattookme17yearstoacknowlege,butIvegottentoagood
placenow.
Thus,Trustwasseeded.
Quickjourneytostage
Thedrama,writtenbyWoehrleandpremieringWednesdayattheLabTheaterin
Minneapolis,hascomerelativelyquicklytothestage.
ItwasdevelopedinWoehrlestheaterworkshopandfeaturessomeofhisacting
students.HeandHansonalsoactintheproduction,whichstirsvividmemoriesfor
Hanson.
Forme,theabusestartedwithconrmationclassesinninthgradeandlastedtwoto 6_41133895
James Hanson, an actor and religion professor
threeyears,hesaid.Thepriestwouldkeepmeafterwards,talktome,thenhetookme
at St. Olaf College, wrote the play"Trust" about
andanotherconrmationboyonatriptoColorado.Thatswherethephysicalabuse
clergy sex abuse.
began.
DavidL.AndersonwaspastorofTrinityLutheranChurchofMoorheadfrom1973to 5787969.j
1985,andlateravicepresidentatSt.Olaf.In1992,aftermorethantwodozenaccusers
cameforward,headmittedsexualmisconductoveraperiodofmanyyearswith
youngmenandboys,includingparishionersatTrinity.Heresignedfromtheclergyand
St.Olaf.Heneverservedjailtimeandlaterdiedofcancer.
Hansonsaidthat,ashelooksbackonhisexperience,Andersonhadasickintelligence
andaknackforpickinghisvictims,allenhancedbyhisstatusasamanofthecloth.In
fact,hepresidedoverHansonsrstmarriage.
Remember,thesepriestsarereveredconduitsofGod,Hansonsaid.
AlthoughAndersonwasLutheran,TrusttakesplaceataCatholiccollege.
ItwasneverintendedtobeJimsstoryinanyliteralsense,Woehrlesaid.Thebroader
strokewastheCatholicchurchisgettingthemostattentionforthis.So,thesettingisa RICH REMEDIOS
ctitiousCatholiccollegeinMinnesota. JohnWoehrleasFatherDanielsin
Trust.
Abusere-awakened
InTrust,thehiringofacollegepresidentprecipitatesacrisisinastudentnamed
Michael.ThepresidentturnsouttobeMichaelsabuser.
Hansonsaidthatforalltheseriousnessofthesubject,theplayhassomegoodhumor,
hesaid.Iknowitsstrangetothinkthat,butaudienceswillalsolaugh.
TheplayhasthebackingofSt.PaulattorneyJeAnderson,anadvocateforsex-abuse
victimsandtheshowsexecutiveproducer.
Anytimesomebodycangetthestorytoldaboutsurvivalandbetrayalbyauthority
gures,Itrytobesupportiveofthoseeorts,hesaid.Artistically,socially,politically
andculturally,wewantthisverypainfulmessageofsurvivaltobebetterunderstood.
TrustisdirectedbyRichRemedios,anactorwhowasinLove!Valour!Compassion!
onBroadway.Theshowmarkshisdirectorialdebut.Hesaiditsnotsomethingthathe
soughtout,butsomethingthatcalledhim.
Johnaskedmetodoit,andIwasreluctantatrstbecauseIhadntdirectedafull-
lengthplaybefore,Remediossaid.ButnowthatIvedoneit,itscleartomethatitsa
calling.Thisisastorythatmustbetold.
Trust
Who:WrittenbyJohnWoehrle.Directedby
rpreston@startribune.com 6126734390 rohanpreston RichRemedios.
When:7:30p.m.Wed.Sat.,2p.m.nextSun.
EndsAug.28.
Where:LabTheater,700N.1stSt.,Mpls.
Tickets:$15$25.6123337977,
thelabtheater.org.