Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Martyna Majok’s riveting SANCTUARY CITY continues the playwright’s exploration of underexposed lives on society’s fringes

• By drediman
• September 22, 2021
• No Comments

Last night, Maryna Majok’s riveting new play Sanctuary City opened at the Lucille Lortel Theatre courtesy of New York Theatre Workshop (the show was actually in previews when Covid shut down all performances last March). With her latest play, Ms. Majok continues her exploration of the underexposed lives of those on the fringes of society – an endeavor which began (strikingly) with Ironbound, and continued with queens and Cost of Living (the latter won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama). Sanctuary City tells the story of two teens, whom the playwright named simply B and G, who navigate life in America as undocumented immigrants.

Although the play is performed in one act, there are two distinct halves in its design. The first half is comprised of rapid fire scenes, akin to the ones in Nick Payne’s Constellations. These scenes function sort of as puzzle pieces, inviting viewers to lean in and make sense of the shards of information being hurtled in their direction. Thankfully, Rebecca Frecknall’s stylish but spare staging fuels the play’s projectile trajectory, giving the play a thrilling sense of momentum. About halfway through, however, the play jarringly slows its manic pace and adheres more or less to the formula of your conventional kitchen sink drama. Whether intentional, this drastic shift aligns powerfully with the moment the characters’ youthful exuberance and optimism drains away as they’re faced with the realities of their respective situations. Although Ms. Majok’s plays tend to be forceful portraits that conclude in dead ends, they’re also marked by passages of the utmost compassion.

As B and G, Jasai Chase-Owens and Sharlene Cruz, respectively, inhabit their characters with both street smart brio and disarming sensitivity, unafraid to portray their vulnerability with aching directness and rawness. Although B and G’s relationship is strictly platonic, there’s a tenderness in their chemistry with each other that forms the heart of the show. Certainly two young actors to watch out for. As the play’s surprise interloper (no spoilers here!), Austin Smith gives a slyly caustic performance that perfectly catapults the play to its heartbreaking conclusion. Kudos also to the intelligent design team (lighting design by Isabella Byrd; sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman), whose inspired work contribute considerably to the intense theatricality of the production.

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SANCTUARY CITY
Off-Broadway, Play
New York Theatre Workshop at the Lucille Lortel Theatre
1 hour, 40 minutes (without an intermission)
Through October 10