Curtain Calls: ‘Sanctuary City’ in Berkeley takes look at undocumented life

Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s production of the powerful story of two young dreamers opened July 8. The West Coast premiere of “Sanctuary City,” in association with Arena Stage, runs through Aug. 14 in the company’s Peet’s Theatre at 2025 Addison St. in Berkeley.

The action takes place in Newark, New Jersey, a sanctuary city where local authorities limit cooperation with immigration enforcement agents. It begins with the teenage girl (María Victoria Martínez) banging on a friend’s window to get in — a nice metaphor for the dreamers’ plight. It seems the girl and her mother are often beaten by the mother’s husband, but they don’t report the abuse since both are undocumented.

The friend (Hernán Angulo), also undocumented, works at various service jobs at which he and his mother are paid under the table and subject to intimidation. The two form more than a friendship as the girl begins to spend most nights at the boy’s apartment. Neither character is given a name, adding to their disenfranchisement.

I can only imagine how vulnerable both must feel as they live their lives one emergency after another, always wondering when they’ll be forced to leave the only country they’ve ever known.

While playwright Martyna Majok is not a dreamer, she was born in Poland and emigrated to the United States as a child, settling in New Jersey. In a 2021 talkback for a performance at New York Theatre Workshop, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright said she began writing “Sanctuary City” in March 2017.

“I write about people I know. Everything comes from a personal place with me,” said Majok.

Majok said she was trying to show what impossible situations undocumented residents are in.

“[The play] is sort of a love letter for the people I grew up with,” she said. “I wanted to invite people into the world I know and have experienced.”

David Mendizábal directs the Berkeley Rep production, which also features Kim Fischer. I have not been able to see the show yet but hope you will. It is certainly a timely subject that, unfortunately, has also become a political football. For tickets, call 510-647-2949 or go to berkeleyrep.org.

Also in Berkeley: Central Works’ “Dreaming in Cuban” has been extended through July 31. The new adaptation by Cristina Garcia of her first novel was developed in Central Works’ Writers’ Workshop.

The haunting tale tells of the del Pino family, who have been divided in the wake of the Cuban revolution. One child yearns for the home she left behind while another can’t wait to call the United States home.

Performances take place in the historic Berkeley City Club at 2315 Durant Ave. in Berkeley. Go to centralworks.org for more information.

Castro Valley: Steve Martin’s hilarious “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” continues through July 31 at Chanticleers Theater, 3683 Quail Ave. in Castro Valley.

It’s Paris in 1904, and The Lapin Agile, a beloved watering hole to struggling artists and would-be geniuses, welcomes Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein on one extraordinary night. Jacob Russell-Snyder, Chanticleers’ new artistic director, directs. Like many theaters, Chanticleers is rebuilding after the pandemic and has new personnel and board members.

“We are working with a bit of a skeleton crew,” says Russell-Snyder, “but I see that as a tremendous opportunity for the community. We are always looking for actors who want to be onstage, volunteers who want to paint, construct or help put on a show. And, of course, we always want audience members too, so if you know any … .”

Concord: Congratulations to Solo Opera. The Concord-based company was recently awarded a California Arts Council (CAC) “Arts and Cultural Organizations General Operating Relief Grant” in the amount of $19,000.

“We are so honored to receive a grant from CAC for operating expenses. This funding will strengthen us as an organization internally so we can focus on our mission of serving the community,” said Executive/Artistic Director Sylvia Amorino.

San Francisco: If you’ve never experienced Word for Word’s unique performance style, now is your chance. For the first time in two years, the company and Z Space, in collaboration with Black Artists Contemporary Cultural Experience, are presenting a performance of the story “Boys Go to Jupiter” by Danielle Evans.

“Performance of the story” may sound a bit strange, but that is exactly what the company does. The actors perform short works of fiction in their entirety, adding exciting visuals and inventive staging to make it come alive.

In “Boys Go to Jupiter,” Claire, a white college freshman grieving the recent death of her mother, finds herself in the middle of a racial controversy. The hashtags and tweets are flying, the hate emails are piling up, and all because of a photo she didn’t even post. Grief, friendship, responsibility and the power of social media, all come together to make this an exciting and disturbing tale.

The show runs through July 31 at Z Space’s Steindler Stage, 450 Florida St. in San Francisco. Call 415-626-0453 or email boxoffice@zspace.org for tickets.

Sally Hogarty can be reached at sallyhogarty@gmail.com. Read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.

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