Performances began March 4 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre for the world premiere of Sanctuary City by Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok. The New York Theatre Workshop production, directed by Rebecca Frecknall, runs alongside the NYTW production of Celine Song's Endlings at the company's Fourth Street home.
In Sanctuary City, DREAMers, friends, and lovers negotiate the promise of safety and the weight of responsibility in America. The cast is made up of Jasai Chase-Owens (The Tempest, Midsummer Night’s Dream), Sharlene Cruz (Mac Beth, The Climb), and Austin Smith (An Octoroon, Hamilton).
“Some of the things I'm exploring are the extent to which we help when we can, how much we are willing to care for and sacrifice for another person, and the cost of that, for both sides, particularly when coming from a world of limited means and guarantees,” Majok told Playbill in an interview last year.
Sanctuary City, which is scheduled to run through April 12, features scenic and costume design by Tom Scutt (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), lighting design by Obie Award winner Isabella Byrd (Light Shining in Buckinghamshire), and sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman (Light Shining in Buckinghamshire). Merrick A.B. Williams (I Understand Everything Better) serves as stage manager.
