A provocative theatre presentation is coming to town that takes aim at the legal system and sexual assault in Canada. Though dubbed The Ghomeshi Effect, the documentary dance-style theatre presentation will have little to do with the former CBC journalist accused of sexual abuse by more than 20 women. Instead, playwright and director Jessica Ruano has composed a presentation made from excerpts of 40 interviews she conducted regarding experiences in the legal system after sexual assault. Her interviewees ranged from survivors of sexual assault, to lawyers and even parole officers working with men who have been convicted of sexual assault. “First of all, the actual written text for the show is entirely true, it’s all drawn from interviews that I conducted,” Ruano said. “A lot of them are personal stories or thought provoking perspective, kind of all gathered together to create this text. And they’re all word for word.” Ruano recorded each interview, transcribed them and used parts of them to create the script. “Nothing is paraphrased, they’re the actual words of people that I spoke to. I think it makes for a very interesting way of doing theatre, getting the real story,” Ruano said. The production is also a dance performance. “I think there are multiple messages ... Some of the main themes are that although the subject is being talked about a lot in the media these days both in mainstream and in social media, there’s a lot of choosing sides and divisiveness. A lot of people getting very entrenched in their decisions,” Ruano explained. “What we’re trying to call for with this play is an open dialogue. There are multiple perspectives out there and the only way for us to solve the problem that we currently see is by being able to talk about them and being able to appreciate the various points of view.” Ruano said she also wants viewers to remember the people and humanity behind these stories. People often jump to judgments about a person and what they’ve done when they read about it in media, said Ruano. With this production, she is hoping to have people listen to what each character is saying before landing on those conclusions. The title of the play – The Ghomeshi Effect – makes reference to the reactions in mainstream and social media during the Jian Ghomeshi trial. The title is also a reference to one of Canada’s most infamous sexual assault cases as the production attempts to tackle how these cases are handled in Canadian courts. “I thought it was particularly interesting with that trial, how there was so much media attention given to it and that we were starting to be aware of what it takes to report sexual assault and why there were so many people who were choosing not to because of the various barriers they might encounter,” Ruano said. Some of the characters in the show deal with racism and sexual assault as well as their distrust that police will believe the survivors and to handle the case effectively. “I understand that these conversations are difficult to have, but I believe they are essential if we are going to work together to combat sexual violence in our communities,” Ruano said. “That’s why I felt it was important to include that content that addresses additional barriers faced by people of colour, Indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ+ people when it comes to engaging with the police and the legal system.” Cochrane and Area Victim Services (CAVS) had originally planned to co-host the production and invited Ruano to Cochrane, but had to back away due to the controversial nature of some of the excerpts. “Victim Services is funded in large part by the Department of Justice. The play is centred around victims of sexual assault in Canada and their experiences with policing and the justice system. Some of the material may not cast the police or the justice system in a good light and so we made the decision to back away from hosting. We wish Jessica and the production the best of luck in their Alberta tour,” said Daphne Hollins with CAVS. Ruano said as she understood it there was some hesitation from the board of directors regarding some scenes where that didn’t cast police in a good light. The play will be presented at the Cochrane RancheHouse on Nov. 5. For tickets, visit www.theghomeshieffect.com/book-tickets and choose “Cochrane and Area.”
