Live Bodies For Sale

Playwrights Local presents the world premier of Live Bodies For Sale.

Written by Christopher Johnston

Directed by Terrence Spivey

“Live Bodies for Sale” is a new play about the human trafficking crisis occurring in Ohio in the immediate present. In immersive fashion, this documentary work explores the lives of several women from Cleveland who are recent survivors of this ongoing injustice. “Live Bodies for Sale” addresses how these women were forced to work as prostitutes, detailing their escapes as well as their attempts to maintain healthy lives. Based on interviews with real people, the play presents the insights of professionals who help free such victims, including Renee Jones, an urban Mother Theresa figure in Cleveland. Testimonies from Cuyahoga County task force members­­–law enforcement agents, prosecutors, and judges–­­also detail what’s being done to free victims and hunt down their traffickers.

The cast of “Live Bodies for Sale” includes Leilani Barrett, Rocky Encalada, Arien Hodges, Hayley Johnson, Rochelle Jones, Joseph Milan, Juliette Regnier, and Emily Taylor. Design for the production is by Inda Blatch­-Geib (costumes), Marcus Dana (lights), Beau Reinker (sound), and Lisa L. Wiley (props). The staff includes Kristen Boehnlein (stage manager), Brittany “Charlie” Jones (assistant stage manager), and Tom Hayes (carpenter).

More information on this production of “Live Bodies for Sale” can be found at http://www.playwrightslocal.org/livebodiesforsale/.