One woman show portrays struggles of North Korean defectors and refugees

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A one-woman show inspired by the true stories of North Korean defectors, “SELL ME: I Am From North Korea” premiered at the 2019 International Human Rights Art Festival in New York. The play was written by and stars Korean-born playwright and performer Sora Baek. Baek and her team have expanded the play and a Jersey City show will be the first performance of the full production.

Baek based the play on her own research of her Northern neighbors who’ve resisted the North Korean government and the continuing obstacles, stigmas, and prejudices defectors face as undocumented refugees. She shows the very real, very human costs this brutal regime inflicts on individuals through the story of Jisun Park, a 15-year-old girl who risks her life for the chance to give her family hope and freedom.

“It is my wish that all our children grow up in a world that is more welcoming, free, and just than the one we have now,” said Baek. “To bring this meaningful and relevant story to the state I live in and to have the support of such a great beacon in the Jersey City community is truly special.”

“Theater breaks down walls that separate us by giving a voice to the voiceless. North Korea is often in the news but rarely do we hear about its people. SELL ME is an important new work about the fight against injustice by a refugee community whose stories of struggle and trauma have rarely been told before,” said Olga Levina, Artistic Director, JCTC.

[Hudson Reporter]

This entry was posted in by Grant Montgomery.

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