"Sanctuary City" at Theatre in the Round

I'm not sure it's ever happened before that Frank Theatre and Theatre in the Round have done the same show in the same season. Frank has been around for 35 years, and does risky, interesting, meaningful plays (that are sometimes a little weird and dark). Theatre in the Round, the oldest theater in Minneapolis, is known for their Agatha Christie mysteries and more classic choices, but also isn't afraid to challenge their audience with some new or lesser known work. However it happened that both theaters produced Sanctuary City within a few months of each other, it's fortunate for #TCTheater goers. This play by Polish-American playwright Martyna Majok (whose work Frank introduced us to last year with the fantastic play Ironbound) is brilliantly written and incredibly timely, as it tells the story of two teenagers who came to this country with their parents as children, and are now faced with the uncertainty of living as undocumented immigrants. Something that's even more terrifying under this administration, and has even gotten worse since Frank's production of this play just three months ago. I don't think there's a large intersection in the Venn diagram of Frank's audience and TRP's audience, so I hope more people get to see this play. There was a small crowd on the Saturday night I attended, but I hope that Theatre in the Round's audience gives this show a chance. It's a bold choice for them, and they do a wonderful job with it. If you missed Frank's production of Sanctuary City, or you want to see another interpretation of it, check it out at Theatre in the Round weekends through June 1.

Sanctuary City tells the story of two teenagers who immigrated with their mothers when they were children, and now have to find a way to stay in the only home they've known. The first half of the play is constructed of short scenes (some less than a minute). In a piecemeal way, we learn about these two friends known only as G and B. G often asks to crash with B to escape an abusive home, while B is dealing with his mother's plans to return to her home country and leave him behind. The structure reminds me a bit of the play Constellations, in that we sometimes see multiple versions of the same scene with slight variations. It's not linear or entirely logical, but it gives us a picture of these teenagers' lives, and the structure of the storytelling makes us feel the instability and unpredictability of living as an undocumented immigrant, a life these kids did not choose.*

In the second half of the play we jump forward in time a few years and settle into one long scene that is more realistic. A third character is introduced that has some say in G and B's plan to marry after G becomes a citizen, so that B can get his green card. But the best laid plans of teenagers often go awry, as they do here in a heart-breaking way.*

Ana Paulina and Diego Symouksavanh
(photo by Aaron Mark Photo Film)

Vanessa Brooke Agnes directs the play, utilizing subtle lighting cues to signify the quick scene changes in Act I, as well as the movement of the actors around the stage, sometimes having them spin around between the repeated scenes. One of the beautiful things about this play is that it's not written specifically about any immigrant community, leaving each theater company free to cast from any immigrant community. Frank's production featured Asian American actors, and this production features actors with Costa Rican and Laotian heritage. My guess is they cast these two incredibly talented young actors (both new-to-me), and then built the show around them, adding touches from Costa Rica and Laos to the set. Ana Paulina and Diego Symouksavanh both give real and raw performances, believably transforming from teenagers in the first act to more world-weary young adults in the second. They have a sweet friendship chemistry in the first act, which only makes the second act more heartbreaking. For this they're joined by LJ Soudaly, another new-to-me young actor who also gives an impressive performance.

While this play could be 90-minute-no-intermission, it requires a big set change in the middle, so I'll allow the brief intermission to make this happen. For Act I, the in-the-round space is set up like a playground, complete with three swings hanging from the ceiling and a hopscotch game on the floor (which I would have done as I made my way across the stage to my seat, if the squares weren't so small). Stairs are built into one entrance, where G comes into B's apartment through the window. The flags of Costa Rica and Laos are hung above two entrances, along with some flowers and vines. In Act II, we move inside B's apartment, furnished with a futon, a table and chairs, and other simple furniture. We hear sounds of the wind or traffic, reminding us we're in the city (set design by Christopher Goddard, prop design by Elliott Van Winkle, lighting design by Andrew Vance, sound design by Evee Pavey).

The play takes place just after 9-11 in Newark, so the characters fears are heightened, with frequent references to "what happened in September." (This also allows for some fun early aughts music and fashion, costume design by Ryan McCanna.) Twenty-some years later and another event has caused immigrants (documented and undocumented) to become more fearful and uncertain about their future. This play shows us the human side of two innocent children who were brought to this country, educated here, and made a life here, but can't experience the fullness of life and that elusive American Dream.* It's such an important story to tell right now, to bring humanity and nuance to a hot button political issue. Kudos to Theatre in the Round for choosing this play and doing a commendable job with it.

*Some text borrowed from my review of Frank Theatre's production in February of this year.