NEW YORK -- She has fought for five years now against being returned to her former status as the mistress of a Philippine congressman. It has meant transborder harassment, stalking, imprisonment by ICE and repeated trauma for herself and her children. And now Grace Grande faces extradition on the basis of an uninvestigated allegation by the congressman’s employee that she stole items allegedly worth $43,000.
Still on bail, Grande joins the final talk-back panel of the “Honour” Production at the La Mama E.T.C. on Sunday, Dec. 16th , 2:30 pm.
Tickets are still available at the First Floor Theatre box office, at 74A East 4th Street or online at www.lamama.org//first_floor_theatre/honour/ or by phone at (212) 475-7710.
Written and performed by Dipti Mehta, “Honour” is a story of a child’s seemingly inevitable fall into prostitution in Mumbai, India. It is directed by Terri Berliner.
The Sunday talk-back panel, which is designed to engage the audience in a discussion of human trafficking and the sex trade, features Ms. Grande and Shirley Lin of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Olivia Canlas of AF3IRM will be moderating the discussion.
The Sunday matinee ends the performance run of “Honour” which goes through Friday, Dec. 14th and Saturday, Dec. 15th, 7:30 pm.
Talk-back panels have also been created for these evening performances with Grace Grande and Renee Morgan-Saks of Black Woman’s Blueprint for Friday; and Grace Grande and Elizabeth Kim of AALDEF for Saturday.
Following Sunday’s matinee, Grande will fly back to Los Angeles where her first extradition hearing is set for the third week of January. This La Mama appearance may be the last chance to get to know the woman who defied and continues to defy a powerful warlord.
AF3IRM friends and allies are enjoined not to miss the chance to see and speak to Grande in person and to learn more about the pernicious and violent “querida” or mistress system in the Philippines, the last country without a divorce law in the world. (A press release from Affirm.)
