“Angel’s Bone” is set to make its Canadian premiere on Nov. 25-27, 2022, at The Annex Theatre in Vancouver as part of IndieFest.

The work by Du Yun and Royce Vavrek will be presented by re:Naissance Opera, Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre, Turning Point Ensemble, Arraymusic, and Loose Tea Music Theatre.

The work follows two youths who are lured into relationships with traffickers. The project was conceived by Debi Wong (re:Naissance Opera) and Brenda Lochhead (Director of the Social Context Committee) and is co-directed by Alan Corbishley (Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre) and Alaina Viau (Loose Tea Music Theatre). Naomi Woo is the music director, James Nesbitt is the projection designer, Holly Meyer-Dymny is the set and lighting designer, and Joline Rath is the costume designer.

The opera will star Asitha Tennekoon, Winona Myles, Eliza Bagg, Alyssa Samson, and Alexander Dobson.

“Many people don’t realize that trafficking and sexual exploitation of youth happens in our local communities at an alarming rate,” said Debi Wong, artistic director of re:Naissance Opera, in an official press statement. “It is the result of many intertwining systems and behaviors that we all unknowingly contribute to: racial and gender stereotypes, hyper sexualization of women and girls, and toxic masculinity. We hope Angel’s Bone will help people recognize how these issues perpetuate dangerous power dynamics that make it easy for children to be unseen and at-risk in our societies, especially those who are Indigenous or racialized, female-identifying, trans or gender diverse, and those who are living in poverty. To change the future trajectory of at-risk children and youth, we need to see a collaborative effort from everyone.”