‘Sanctuary City’ at Chance Theater

OC Theatre Guild
Apr 23
4 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Two teenagers confront identity, belonging and change in post-9/11 New Jersey.

From left, Vicky Yvonne and Spike Pulice. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller.

by Anne Reid

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

For most people, those questions are answered without much thought. In Martyna Majok’s “Sanctuary City,” opening May 1 at Chance Theater, they carry real weight.

Set in Newark, New Jersey, in the years following 9/11, the play follows two teenagers known simply as B and G. Their lives are shaped by both their friendship and the reality of living undocumented in America. As they grow up, they navigate loyalty, love and survival in a system that leaves little room for error.

Early on, the two form a plan for the future, a way to protect each other in a world that offers very little security. As time passes, that plan is tested, and what once feels like a shared solution may become more complicated, shaped by distance, independence and the realities of adulthood.

From left, Spike Pulice and Vicky Yvonne. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller.

Majok, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, is known for writing that stays close to people. Her work tends to focus on small moments, quiet conversations and the kinds of decisions that do not seem dramatic until everything depends on them. “Sanctuary City” follows that pattern, revealing its story in fragments rather than a straight line. Time moves forward in jumps, and the play explores how relationships change, how people grow and what may be lost along the way.

Director Oanh Nguyen leans into that. “This is a play that looks small,” Nguyen said. “Three actors, a shared space, private conversations. But that intimacy exists inside a much larger threat.”

The story centers on the relationship between B and G, played by Spike Pulice and Vicky Yvonne, whose connection drives the production. Their bond is written as deeply rooted, shaped by years of shared experience.

The play explores how certainty can shift over time.

A third character, Henry, played by Jonathan Keyes, also plays a key role in the story, complicating the dynamic between B and G.

Through him, the emotional landscape of the play expands. New questions emerge about responsibility, sacrifice and what each character may be willing to risk. The relationships stretch in different directions, and the balance between them is tested.

From left, Spike Pulice, Vicky Yvonne and Jonathan Keyes. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller.

The production is staged on the Fyda-Mar Stage, an intimate space designed to bring the audience in close proximity to the action. That closeness allows even the smallest moments to resonate. A pause, a look or a change in tone carries weight in a space where very little is hidden.

Nguyen’s connection to the material is personal. A refugee from Vietnam, he immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Westminster and Anaheim.

“I saw early on how vulnerable people could be,” he said. “How easily systems could be used against them, and the desperate measures some were willing to take to survive.”

That perspective shapes the world of the production. The set is conceived as a spare, exposed space centered on a single elevated platform. It is a place where the characters gather, talk and try to make sense of their situation. It suggests a kind of refuge, but never complete safety.

Around it, the suggestion of a larger city exists just out of reach. Structural elements hint at fire escapes, stairwells and shared exterior spaces. Depending on how they are lit or used, those structures may feel protective or confining, echoing the characters’ shifting sense of security.

For Chance Theater’s literary manager, James McHale, that mix of personal story and larger reality is what made the play stand out.

“Producing powerful, socially conscious work has always been at the core of our mission,” McHale said. “This play speaks directly to the realities of belonging, immigration and identity, and asks what it means to care for one another.”

He points to the play’s quiet approach as one of its strengths. It does not rely on spectacle or overt messaging. Instead, it builds its impact through character and relationship, allowing audiences to connect with the story on a human level.

“Sanctuary City” does not offer easy conclusions. It follows people trying to build something stable in circumstances that rarely allow it. The characters make decisions with limited options, holding on to what they can and letting go of what they cannot.