“We’re always looking for shows that really speak to the moment and are relevant now,” Nathan Motta, Dobama Theatre’s artistic director, said of their upcoming production.
There’s hardly a question as to Motta’s success on this front in regard to the show in question, the mere name of which speaks to the play’s relevancy and timeliness: “Sanctuary City.”
The play follows the lives of two undocumented teenagers in Newark, New Jersey. The two teens, B and G, form a pact to help one another find a future and sanctuary in the only country they’ve ever known. But as their lives progress and their opportunities diverge, B and G’s pact and lifelong friendship are put to the test. They now face an uneasy question: what are they willing to sacrifice for a future together?
B and G’s story begins in 2001, post September 11, when immigrants were under intense scrutiny. After 9/11, fear for national security and preventing future terrorist attacks were used as justification for the adoption and enforcement of a myriad of border security and immigration policies.
Decades later, a similar fear has contributed to the current administration’s strict enforcement of and changes to immigration policy, thrusting the topic into the forefront of the current global news cycle and sparking national debate.
Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award-winning, Polish-American playwright Martyna Majok began penning “Sanctuary City” in 2017. The show was slated to open in New York in March, 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Motta had the show on his radar for a few years, he believes that the work is more relevant now than ever.
“We want to find a way to respond to what’s happening in the world… not just read the news, but process it together,” Motta, who is also serving as director for this production, said. “But we’re not just saying ‘come see the show because it’s important’—we’re connecting people to real work happening in the community.”
Dobama’s Full Circle Program is partnering with organizations that provide services and support for immigrant communities, including ACLU Ohio, Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights, Esperanza, Inc. and Margaret W. Wong & Associates. Representatives from these organizations will be participating in talkbacks after select performances, sharing about their work through a discussion of the themes of “Sanctuary City.”
In addition to presenting a timely narrative, Motta believes that the two main characters and their intimacy, friendship and navigation of adolescence and young adulthood will resonate with a variety of audiences.
“They’re very intimate friends… not romantic in a sexual way, but romantic in a ‘this is my person’ kind of way,” Motta said. “Watching two high school teenagers laugh together, give each other a hard time, go to prom—that’s something we all recognize.”
Yet, B and G, played by actors Lloyd Wayne Taylor and Diwe Augustin-Glave, are also facing challenges outside of the “typical” teenage experience. In 2001, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy that provides protections for eligible undocumented young adults brought to the U.S. as children, did not exist. This means that B and G face finite prospects for education and limited work prospects–both of which are at the top of mind for teens approaching adulthood, not even to mention the ever-looming threat of deportation.
“The stakes are high,” Motta said of B and G’s situation. “You don’t know where you came from… that’s not home to you. And you don’t really have a path forward in this country. What do you do when everybody is moving on with their lives… and you’re stuck?”
Along with the high-stakes narrative, Motta believes that the unique structure of the show will “keep the audience on its toes.” Majok’s script takes a cubism approach, moving away from linear storytelling and presenting the narrative through multi-faceted fragments that alternate time and perspective.
“It’s like a snowball,” said Motta. “It jumps back and forth between scenes and has this musical, rhythmic, choreographic feel.”
“Sanctuary City” unfurls in two distinctive parts. The first half of the show occurs with minimalist staging that Motta describes as “two bodies on a platform that’s floating in space,” staging that he believes reflects how the characters are “kind of on an island of isolation… they can’t go forward, and they can’t go back.” This minimalistic approach changes for the second half of the show, which jumps forward in time. Motta was hesitant to reveal too much about the creative elements, but hinted that the lighting and sound would play especially integral parts in the production.
“I think this [show] is for everybody,” Motta said. “I hope people with different viewpoints come see the show… that’s how we start conversations. When we care about the characters, we start to care about the real people facing the same things. I hope people are moved—to laugh, to cry, to sigh… to feel something.”
“That’s how we start to bridge divides.”
“Sanctuary City” performances are Thursdays through Sunday from April 23-May 17, 2026. Evening performances begin at 7:30pm and matinees at 2:30pm. For a complete performance schedule, ticket prices and reservations, visit dobama.org or call the Dobama Theatre box office at 216-932-3396.
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