A play staged at the Hong Kong Arts Centre was aimed at heightening public awareness of child abuse. Titled Gymnopedy, Latin for 'the naked child', it is a study of how violence and sexual abuse traumatises children. Written by Dino Mahoney, an associate professor with the Department of English at the City University of Hong Kong, the play previously won a South London International Playwrights Festival award. It was translated into Cantonese by Kevin Ma Chung-hon. Professor Mahoney, who for four years taught teenagers from broken families in London, said: 'The play shows the destructive effects of abuse on children. The characters repeat the sexual and violent behaviour of their fathers. 'The public attitude towards adolescents is stereotyped. The detailed portraits of adolescents are shown in a more rounded way on the stage.' Professor Mahoney said he hoped those who saw the play would better understand problems teenagers faced today. Hardy Tsoi Sik-cheong, manager of Sha Tin Theatre Company, said the vividness of the actors' language allowed him to understand more deeply the feelings of troubled youths. He said the play seemed to accurately explore the culture of teenagers who lived in halfway homes. Fredric Mao, head of acting at the Academy for Performing Arts, said: 'The language is truthful in showing the living environment at institutional homes. 'The colloquialisms and slang reflect the feeling of teenagers who are raised in less emotionally-supportive environments.' Professor Mahoney summed up the message: 'Teenagers are strengthened to overcome the destructive effects of child abuse and can survive in the world of adolescence.'
