District Drama Teacher Directs ‘No One Owns Me’ Currently Running at the A.D. Players at The George Theater

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Johnique Mitchell (left) and Bethany Eggleston star in “No One Owns Me.”

Roshunda Jones-Koumba, the theater director at Carver HS for Applied Technology/Engineering/The Arts, is directing the premiere of the play No One Owns Me by Chris Cragin-Day and Pia Wilson. The A.D. Players at The George Theater production, which opened on January 26, runs through February 20.

After being highly recommended, artistic Director Kevin Dean approached Jones-Koumba about directing the piece. Jones-Koumba shared that the playwrights vetted her, and “the rest is history.”

The play provides an insightful outlook on trafficking and the struggle of victims to empower themselves to overcome and start over. Audiences are praising No One Owns Me, citing the powerful and moving performances and the direction of the play.

“I’m grateful for the response and to know that the audiences have connected with the message,” said Jones-Koumba. “That makes all the hard work worthwhile. It’s been a blessing to bring this important and necessary story to life. I want to thank the playwrights Chris and Pia, AD Players, the actors, and the entire production team for their tireless work on this production.”

Roshunda Jones-Koumba

The magnet school educator knew she had to direct the piece when I learned that Houston is at the top of the list for trafficking. Fifteen is the average age of targeted victims, which hit home Jones-Koumba since that is an age group she works with every day. She wanted the production to serve as a call to action to the community. As a community, we need to get educated on the signs, raise awareness, promote anti-trafficking legislation, or volunteer for an anti-trafficking organization. Jones-Koumba shared that as a community, we have a collective responsibility to stop human trafficking.

“The play brings awareness and helps people understand and connect,” said Jones-Koumba. “Theater is more than entertainment. The theater can help build our ’emotional muscle’ of empathy. It makes us better people. And increases our desire to make a difference … to change things … to help those in need.”

Awareness alone is not sufficient to prevent human trafficking. The community needs to prevent it before it starts. Jones-Koumba stated school districts, including Aldine ISD, have implemented initiatives to meet students’ social-emotional needs and well-being. For example, they offer programs that focus on healthy relationships, preventing adolescent dating violence, and recognizing when someone is trying to exploit them.

Her students are aware that she is directing the play. She took a group of 30 students to see the production. The eye-opening experience led to “a good discussion on the bus ride home.”

“Before going to see No One Owns Me, I thought human trafficking looked one specific way,” said ninth-grader Alyssa Dorsey. “This show opened my eyes to all the possible ways human trafficking can look and occur. It has shown me to be more mindful and aware of my surroundings and environments.”

Kristina Dorsey, an 11th-grader and sister to Alyssa, was grateful for the opportunity to attend. She praised the production stating it was amazing and had wonderful performances. But Kristina also found the play educational, especially for adolescents. It hit a nerve when she learned the average 15 is the average age of targeted victims — the same age as her sister.

Twelfth-grader Courtney Neal didn’t realize the extreme dangers young people face in Houston and worldwide until he saw the play.

“I was able to grasp a greater understanding of how serious the issue is,” said Courtney. There was so much new terminology that I don’t believe I would have known without it. The show was a great visual representation of how intense these circumstances are to the victims being trafficked and exploited. I was able to witness a show that portrayed what it is like for people caught in these situations as well as their suffering and conflicts.”

Jones-Koumba directs two Carver High School theater students.

It was an intense January for the Carver educator. When Jones-Koumba was in rehearsal for No One Owns Me, the Carver theater troupe was preparing the musical Cinderella. The musical opened when she was in “tech week” for No One Owns Me. Since the play has opened, her time commitment has eased a bit. She and the Carver troupe are now in full swing working on the Black History Show on February 25 and the One-Act Play UIL competitions. She attributes her success to having a detailed planner, good time management, and, more importantly, the “awesome student leaders, her co-director Jabari Collins, and the support of her campus.” 

Under Jones-Koumba’s direction, Carver HS has an award-winning theatre program, including numerous Tommy Tune Awards. Students earned district, area, state, and national achievements and have drawn the attention of well-known theater schools across the country.

Texas Education Theatre Association named her the 2017 Educator of the Year. Jones-Koumba is also the 2021 International Thespian Society Inspirational Theatre Educator Award recipient. In 2020, she was inducted into the Texas Thespians Hall of Fame and received the inaugural Arts Educator of the Year from the TUTS Leading Ladies organization.

Jones-Koumba is featured in the latest episode of All The Things: The Aldine ISD Podcast.