Men in the Making: Domestic Sex Trafficking and the Male Buyer

Please join JCAST Chicago and partner, Her Story Theater, on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 7:00 p.m., for a virtual monologue excerpt from the play, MONGER, performed by actress Jamise Wright.  Following the performance, Mary Bonnett and Ryan Spooner, CAASE Prevention Educator, will explore the impact of men’s participation in domestic sex trafficking and how it effects individual lives, families, and communities.

MONGER follows a Chicago criminal defense attorney with a secret sex life as he juggles his 16- year-old son’s legal crisis on the same day he deposes the mother of a murdered teenage victim.  The play uncovers the nationwide, anonymous brotherhood of men who use the Internet to find and compare notes on the women and underage girls they pay for sex. Both the fictional characters and plot are inspired by real-life events and include actual posts from online chats among men engaged in this activity.

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About Mary Bonnett and Her Story Theater
Her Story Theater (HST) features original plays based on Chicago lives that reflect national concerns including homelessness, domestic sex trafficking, violence, antisemitism, and racism.  The Theatre’s Mission is to shine bright lights in dark places and to spotlight women and children in need of social justice and community support.  Backstage.com listed HST as one of the Top Ten Best Theaters for “Changing Lives.” Mary Bonnett, Producing Artistic Director, meticulously researches and interviews hundreds of people before producing each play. JCAST Chicago looks forward to Mary’s newest play, “MIA: Where Have All the Young Girls Gone?” when theaters reopen.

Ryan Spooner Bio:
Ryan visits classrooms around Chicagoland to share CAASE’s educational curricula with students. He works within the prevention education department to develop and deliver innovative, lasting instruction on consent, gender, and other issues underpinning sexual harm. Before joining CAASE, Ryan taught in the City Colleges and at DePaul University. With an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia College Chicago, his background is in teaching writing and rhetoric, which he’s used to help students share their stories and interrogate the world around them. He’s committed to empowering young people to end sexual violence and exploitation through education, reflection, and open dialogue.

PLEASE NOTE: The May 6th program contains adult content and mature themes that some may find disturbing.  We encourage audience members to practice self-care to feel safe including turning off cameras or leaving the event. If you have any questions, need guidance, or seek support, please reach out to [email protected].

JCAST Chicago is a program of the National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore. NCJWCNS founded JCAST Chicago in 2014 as part of its commitment to ensuring that everyone can live a life free from coercion, violence and exploitation.