SPIKE PULICE as B, Vicky Yvonne at G and Jonathan Keyes as Henry (Chance Theater).
By Thom deMartino
Orange County Tribune
Home should be a place of safety. Not the trapped feeling of the walls closing in.
Anaheim’s Chance Theater is presenting, for a limited time, the work of Pulitzer Prize winning author Martyna Majok: the stark and beautiful “Sanctuary City”.
Directed by Oánh Nguyễn, the story takes place in the aftermath of the Twin Towers attacks, post 9/11, and the world has changed irrevocably: and in the “sanctuary city” of Newark, New Jersey, B (Spike Pulice) is facing his own life-changing crisis. His mother, though having legally come to the states, has never renewed her expired visa, so she – and B as well – are technically illegal, even though they work, pay bills… B even excels in high school. But after those recent, terrible events in New York, the atmosphere towards immigrants has taken a decidedly toxic turn.
The first half of the production is a whiplash of events, snapshots of life captured in between striking sounds of sizzling static: G asking to stay over to avoid her stepfather, ZAP! B telling her his mom’s plans to go back to her country of origin, but he’s going to stay, zap! G talking about homework, can she borrow his notes, zap!
The events of the pair’s lives flash by at breakneck speed, weaving together a tapestry of despair, hope, determination and devotion as the pair lean on each other through their struggles, trauma, and the claustrophobic feeling of things closing in around them. The one, certain thing they can rely on in their lives, is each other.
But when G’s mother becomes naturalized – and G too, by extension – B finds himself feeling increasingly trapped, with his grades begin to suffer as the pressure of work, school, and his mother’s self-deportation take their toll on him.
As the pair of teens finish up their senior year, both look to the future: and while G has landed a scholarship to Boston, B’s future – unable to go to college, much less receive his own scholarship while undocumented – remains bleak.
It’s beneath a detailed façade of crumbling bricks & mortar, before the staring eyes of the myriad posters of 9/11 missing that the story unfolds, and the whirlwind pace of the first half of this dynamic show clearly defines the depth of emotional intimacy and trust between Pulice’s B and Yvonne’s G, and these are a pair of powerhouse performances by the duo.
Pulice is the emotional anchor of the production, with the audience witness to B’s downward spiral as his hopes and dreams suffer blow after repeated blow – when all he desperately wants is his home in this country, the only one he’s ever known. His frustration, grief, fear and rage all radiate in this driving, gripping portrayal, made that much stronger through the mirror of Yvonne’s performance as G.
Her depiction of G is moving, as she’s torn between supporting her mother and escaping the constant, violent abuse of her stepfather. Worse still, one can clearly sense the guilt she feels at becoming a citizen automatically along with her mom, while her beloved B struggles and fails at every turn.
But it’s when the flashes of events subside and the narrative becomes linear that the audience sees the consequence of that time and distance on the relationship: and when G finally returns to Newark, the audience is introduced to Henry (Jonathan Keyes) who takes her to task as he fiercely defends B.
While he may come off as acerbic, he’s been there – in her absence, desperately loyal – and he’s the one who has endured watching B’s struggles all this time. Keyes does a marvelous job of intermingling his simmering resentment with his overwhelming concern for B, and he’s a driving and powerful force in the latter half of this show.
Even though set in the days following 9/11 more than 20 years ago, “Sanctuary City” is a perfectly timed reflection of current events: one that invites the viewer to truly walk in the shoes and share the experience of someone deemed “illegal” who wants to be anything but, yet is trapped in a dysfunctional system. By popular demand (after several sold-out shows), the production’s run has been extended to June 7, so be sure to witness this striking and evocative production.
“Sanctuary City”: Spike Pulice, Vicky Yvonne and Jonathan Keyes star in this story of the struggles of one young man to become an American citizen and the barriers in the way. Playing through June 7 at the Chance Theater, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim 92807. Call (800) 455-4212 or visit http://www.chancetheater.com for ticketing info. Some adult language and content.
