Connection Under Restriction by Jasmine Sunoo-Flanders
Sanctuary City does what theatre does best: depict real life. Through a mosaic of fractured memories, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Martyna Majok, brings to the stage a story of American life, one that is both prevalent and hidden. Set in the sanctuary city of Newark, New Jersey—a city that prioritizes its residents by limiting immigration authority under the law—characters G, B, and Henry “all have American mouths” and lives, but a piece of paper stands between truly living and just surviving (Majok). The play takes place in the years just after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a world shattering event that left the United States on edge. The country, desperate to prevent any more terrorist acts, increased surveillance and tightened security laws. Less than two years after 9/11, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established to crack down on border control and immigration regulation. Hate crimes were at an all time high, and rhetoric surrounding marginalized immigrant communities labeled them as dangers, potential threats to the country. Under these conditions, as two young undocumented immigrants, where else can G and B turn but to each other?
Protected by nothing but their friendship, G and B’s hopes shine through moments of vulnerability in the constant hardships they face as immigrants. Majok draws inspiration from her own experiences living as a Polish-American immigrant in New Jersey, which instills a tangibility into the play’s “snow globe” structure. G and B’s relationship is presented to the audience in fleeting moments and time skips, but their deep bond and love for each other tie these memories together. Their dreams are blocked by the fragility of their citizen status, or lack thereof, yet both fight for their place in the United States and the futures they hope to build. Forces outside of their control threaten the sanctuary that G and B have built, and in the wake of 9/11, the two must constantly examine the ways wider society views their actions in order to protect themselves, and how this self-surveillance prevents them from being completely honest with each other. It is not until the end of this play that the snow globe settles, and the following action depicts the characters in one long night on the cusp of a life-altering decision. As the world attempts to drive them apart, G and B must decide what to sacrifice and what to hold close, begging the question, what does freedom look like in a country where citizenship status feels unachievable?
Sanctuary City remains relevant in today’s polarized world as immigration continues to be one of the biggest topics of discussion in the country. In a reflection of a post-9/11 United States, surveillance of immigrants continues to intensify as seen with the recent visibility of ICE in many US communities. The daily news reports constant headlines and statistics about the subject. Majok’s story gives us a way to reflect on these headlines, to go beyond the statistics and see the human impact these policies can have. And as we connect with these characters, it reminds us that at the end of day, we are all human. Despite the hardships they face, the characters continue to work towards their dreams and a future in the United States. At times it feels as if the world is against G and B, but their hope and will to fight defines their story.
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