''Fabric'', written by playwright Henry Ong, is the only known dramatization of the 1995 El Monte Thai Garment Slavery Case. First performed in 2000, it was produced by the

Company of Angels A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

in 2010, in partnership with the

Thai Community Development Center The Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC) is a nonprofit NGO in Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders O ...

to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the landmark case. In 2015, it was reprised and presented at the

Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...

as part of a month-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of the case.

Background

On August 2, 1995, in El Monte, California, 72 Thai nationals were discovered working and living in an apartment complex ringed with barbed wire and spiked fences, sewing clothes for major retailers and manufacturers. Some of the captives had been held for as long as seven years by the leader of a human trafficking ring, "Auntie Suni." The story made national and international headlines as the first case of modern-day slavery since the abolishment of slavery in the United States.

Production

Playwright Henry Ong, upon reading an account of the raid in the Los Angeles Times, contacted Chanchanit Martorell, executive director of the

. Martorell agreed to put Ong in touch with the people involved in the case, including the Thai garment workers. Ong received a

City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3,878,704 residents within the city ...

grant to write the play. In addition to interviews with the principal players, Ong did extensive research and visited the

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which had created an exhibit on the history of garment workers to collect additional data and information. He developed the play over four years through workshops and readings.

Singapore Repertory Theatre Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), is a non-profit professional theatre company founded in 1993. It is located at the KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT at 20 Merbau Road, Singapore. The current artistic director is Gaurav Kripalani while its mana ...

staged ''Fabric'' in a world premiere in 2000. This was followed by a production by Nomad Theater in Surrey, England the next year. Company of Angels produced it in 2010, in association with Thai Community Development Center, in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Thai garment workers slavery case.

Synopsis

The play interweaves two stories. The first follows a group of Thai nationals who are lured into coming to America to work in a garment factory by a human trafficking ring, masterminded by a Thai national (known as Auntie Suni) who was assisted by her sons and daughters in-law. Once in America, these workers found themselves confined in an apartment building which had been converted into an underground sewing shop. Under the control of Auntie Suni, the men and women were forced to work long hours (from 7 a.m. to midnight), with no weekend breaks or holidays, to pay off their debts to the traffickers.Kimitch, Rebecca
“Play Brings Back Horror of El Monte Sweatshop and Slavery Case”
"

San Gabriel Valley Tribune The ''San Gabriel Valley Tribune'' is a paid daily newspaper headquartered in Monrovia, California, that serves the central and eastern San Gabriel Valley. It operated from a West Covina location from 1955 to 2015. The ''Tribune'' is a member of ...

" San Gabriel Valley. 17 July 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2015. The other narrative thread follows the law enforcement investigation. A garment worker escapes from the premise. She speaks about her predicament to an Immigration Officer, who is familiar with Thai culture, having worked in Thailand for many years and being married to a Thai woman. Through investigations by both the

Immigration and Naturalization Service The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a United States federal government agency under the United States Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and under the United States Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. Refe ...

; and the State Labor Commission, a raid is planned on the apartment complex. Auntie Suni, the ring leader, and her family members are arrested and brought to justice. The workers are freed and allowed to live in the United States.

References

{{Reflist Asian-American plays American plays Plays set in Los Angeles Plays about slavery 2010 plays History of slavery in California