Yokosuka sailors SCREAM to prevent sexual abuse

Photo By Joseph Schmitt | Quartermaster 1st Class David Edwards and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Latoya Jackson act out "The Man Show."  

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

05.01.2013

Story by Joseph Schmitt 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

YOKOSUKA, Japan - Sailors from Fleet Activities, Yokosuka wrote and acted out skits in a production called SCREAM, Sailors Challenging Reality and Educating Against Myths, at Fleet Theater, May 1. SCREAM is a local production by sailors and the Fleet and Family Support Center to teach sailors about sexual assault in the military.

“For the past few years, we have been doing this production here and I think it makes it more effective to hear this message from other sailors,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Ayanna Marcus, assistant director. “All the scenes are written and acted out by sailors from the area. I think that makes it more real and more relatable to the audience.”

The production went over several themes of sexual assault; alcohol/date rape drugs, sexual assault in the home, superiors at work using their position to gain the ability to commit sexual assault and how to report these crimes to the authorities.

“I have had friends and people I’ve known that have been victims of sexual assault and I wanted to tell their story,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Latoya Jackson, writer and actor. “I wrote the Crooked Isle. It was about domestic abuse and how it can go unreported because it could be a loved one or a significant other who gets reported. I think that people need to know they can still come forward and get help and support.”

Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Sarita Pringle and Quartermaster 1st Class David Edwards wrote the other two scenes. All three writers are victim advocates at Yokosuka’s FFSC. Each brought a different style and tone to their scenes.

“We write and act to entertain and inform,” said Edwards. “We hope by making the production more watchable that the message has a better chance of sticking with people when they leave here.”

After the first few minutes the audience started to react more to the scenes.

“The production was very well thought out,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bryan Escueta. “It was a lot more assertive towards sailors compared to what I have listened to before. It reached out further. It was heartfelt. The scenes represented reality. The biggest message I took from it was to be there for other sailors.”

The program has been so successful locally that other organizations within the Navy have expressed interest to have their own SCREAM productions. The local FFSC is working to bring the play to a service-wide audience.

• Date Taken: 05.01.2013
• Date Posted: 05.20.2013 05:03
• Story ID: 107223
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP