This article appeared in the May 7, 2003 Cambridge Chronicle.

New work focuses on sexual exploitation of teenagers

by Susie Davidson

CORRESPONDENT

Social worker and artist Myrna Balk helped NGOs to develop rehabilitation centers in Nepal for survivors of both sex trafficking and domestic abuse. Her experience of several seasons in the South Asian nation included leading drawing workshops with the victims, who produced sketches with accompanying text reflecting their thoughts and feelings. To these, Balk added a series of her own etchings and woodblocks, based upon the artists’ recollections. The resultant collection, which has been shown in Boston, New York, Cleveland, Kathmandu, Beijing, India, Hungary, and at the United Nations in New York, will be part of Body & Sold Part I; to be presented this Saturday and Sunday at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 41 Brattle St. in Harvard Square. The show will also be held at The Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St., Boston, on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

CIA estimates point to over 50,000 young women who are trafficked annually into the US for the purposes of sexual exploitation. It has also been projected that from Nepal, 500 girls per month are trafficked into India.

Body & Sold, which was written by playwright Deborah Lake Fortson, focuses on two girls who are deceived and sold into the brothels of Bombay. “Based on interviews with survivors, the play gives a window into the world of sex trafficking from the point of view of the victims,” said Tempest Productions publicist Mary Curtin. The exhibit includes Balk’s exhibit, within a workshop format. Next fall’s Part II will detail the stories of teenagers who are trafficked within the US.

Fortson’s plays, written for theaters in Boston, New York, and England, have been featured at the Women On Top Festival and the Boston Theatre Marathon. Her The Yellow Dress, which deals with dating violence, has been produced across the country.

“The ensemble of actors work extraordinarily well together as a unit, and bring the dialogue and text alive in a light, fresh and original way,” said Assistant Producer/Marketing Consultant Pat O’Brien, who observed an April 16 production at Boston University. “Music and dance are woven into the performance very harmoniously,” she added, noting that while it appears somewhat strange to describe such a poignant topic receiving a light touch, at the same time, there is no making light of the issue. “It comes across as the very nasty criminal activity that it is, with consequences for the victims that are horrendously damaging. As an audience we get a glimpse into the intricate workings of this particularly disturbing seduction and destructive exploitation of human lives for profitable enterprise.”

"Deborah Lake Fortson’s play tackles the complex and provocative issues of sexual exploitation of women,” said Amnesty International’s Bonnie Abaunza. “In viewing the play along with Myrna Balk’s powerful and sensitive work, the audience embarks on an emotional and poignant journey that will, undoubtedly, inspire all of us to action.”

The Tempest Company, a multicultural ensemble of Indian, Japanese, African-American, Chinese, and European-American actors, perform within a dynamic and physical, image-filled theatrical style. Live marimba music by Vessela Stoyanova accompanies the production, which is followed by a discussion on the current worldwide situation, led by workers in the field of international trafficking.

Tickets are $12 and $15 for BODY & SOLD Part I: South Asia, May 7-8, 8 p.m. at The Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston. Tickets are $12 for the May 10, 8 p.m. and May 11, 4 p.m. showings at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 41 Brattle St., Harvard Square.

For more information, please contact O’Brien at 617-576-0649.