STAGE&ARTS

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.