Survive

Survive is a new musical about the trafficking of women in Thailand, as told through the lens of female migrant laborers, sex workers, grassroots activists, NGO employees, government officials, and other members of the anti-trafficking movement. Based on extensive field research in Thailand, Survive presents a critical look at how the "story" about trafficking is told, and shows that finding a solution to this problem is even more complicated than it seems.

Set in the present, the story focuses on the aftermath of a brothel raid in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. Several anti-trafficking NGOs and the Royal Thai Police conducted the raid in order to save women who were working in the brothel against their will. Ten women were rounded up. All said they were there by choice. But one woman, Lipoh, a sharp Akha (ethnic minority) migrant with unwavering determination to make a good life for herself in Thailand, appears to be underage. This would make her an automatic “trafficking victim” in the eyes of the law. Since the State Department has been pressuring the Thai government to secure more trafficking prosecutions, TRAFFIC WATCH, the NGO who orchestrated the raid is depending on Lipoh’s witness testimony. Without it, Thailand risks a “downgrade” in the State Department’s annual Trafficking In Persons Report– and this could mean sanctions from the U.S.

But Lipoh is unwilling to cooperate. Despite what the NGOs say, she insists that she is not a “trafficking victim,” that she is eighteen, and was working in the brothel willingly.

Emma Gable, the new American social worker at TRAFFIC WATCH, is sent in to assess Lipoh’s status. Emma’s goal is to get Lipoh to admit to being underage, and “groom” her to be a witness in a prosecution. TRAFFIC WATCH will then be rewarded with a generous grant. Emma must convince Lipoh that it’s in her best interest to comply with being the person everyone sees: a victim.

What transpires is a journey into the nuances of Thailand’s anti-trafficking movement-- a world burdened with politics, competition and the rhetoric of human rights. Through monologues, songs, scenes and visuals, Survive shows the audience how the dominant narrative about trafficking is oriented more toward serving the interests of those working in the movement, than the women they are trying to help. Survive also tells the stories of those who hold very different perspectives on trafficking and are working to combat it in wholly different ways.

Four actresses—two American and two Thai—make up the dynamic cast. Throughout the show, we hear from women involved on both sides of “raid and rescue,” from migrant laborers and sex workers to NGO employees, members of the Thai Government and the State Department. Emma and Lipoh play only themselves, while the other actresses shift roles, playing various Thai, American, Australian, British and Burmese characters.

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1. Emma	Emma