Women Who Entered a Losing Battle: 'Prima Facie' [Thought Theater by Eom Hyeon-hee]

[Financial News] How far have women's rights come? Still, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence and threats. This is according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union. 'Prima Facie' (written by Suzie Miller/directed by Shin Yu-cheong) is a play that shows one in three.
The protagonist of the play, Tessa, stands in a cunning position. She is both a victim of sexual violence and a competent lawyer. Before the incident, Tessa was a lawyer faithful to professional ethics, and among the cases she handled were, of course, defending men accused of sexual violence. The previous Tessa sharply found inconsistencies in the testimonies of women who reported sexual violence and broke them down. 'Prima Facie' is a one-person play that shows the changed Tessa before and after the incident.
This work, which premiered in Australia in 2019, has been recognized worldwide, winning several prestigious awards. It fully demonstrates the characteristics of a one-person play where the actor alone is responsible for the stage, facing the audience with 'raw, vivid energy'. In Korea's 'Prima Facie', actors Kim Sin-rok, Lee Ja-ram, and Cha Ji-yeon play Tessa. Kim Sin-rok convincingly and vividly expresses Tessa, from her initial confident and assured self to her passionate and proactive appearance, her inner turmoil, and her struggle to bear the pain to survive. There is not a single moment throughout the performance that is not alive. Like a bouncing ball, she exists in a state that reacts and changes every moment.
Due to Tessa's unique position as both a victim of sexual violence and a lawyer, the stage becomes a place to reveal hidden truths. The title of the play, 'Prima Facie', is a legal term meaning 'something that appears to be sufficiently proven at first glance until additional evidence emerges'. In sexual violence crimes, the victim must gather and prove the evidence, and in reality, most sexual violence crimes do not lead to punishment due to the need for more evidence. Statistically, the indictment and conviction rates for sexual violence crimes are very low.
After the incident, Tessa reveals the difficulties of the indictment process, the absurdity of the crime-proof process, and the unfairness of the system through her own experience of suffering. Knowing the law well, Tessa already anticipated losing in court. However, she chooses to speak to the audience instead of remaining silent. "Why does the current law not encompass the experiences of one in three?" she asks.
Director Shin Yu-cheong, who has worked on 'Angels in America', 'Hunchback', and 'Prima Facie', has dealt with how laws and systems that protect the community sometimes alienate and oppress individuals. When encountering a highly complete play with controversial issues, he has directed a well-structured and persuasive stage. 'Prima Facie' particularly enhances the efficiency of space and lighting use to maintain the tension and tempo of the one-person play. Additionally, Tessa's psychology, which undergoes tremendous emotional waves, would have been appropriately refined and polished by the actor and the observing director. Through them, Tessa's voice, which causes cracks, becomes a message. 


jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter