Sanctuary City NYC Reviews and Tickets

79%

(79 Reviews)

Positive

87%

Mixed

10%

Negative

Members say

Absorbing, Relevant, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Resonant

About the Show

A new play about DREAMers that asks what we’re willing to sacrifice for someone we love.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok returns with an unforgettable new play, Sanctuary City. Once again, Majok focuses her razor-sharp pen on the stories of everyday people, specifically a crew of DREAMers and life-long friends who fight to carve out a home of their own in America. A story about love, sacrifice, and human resilience helmed by Olivier Award-winning director, Rebecca Frecknall. This production returns to New York Theatre Workshop after its original postponement in March 2020.

Member Reviews (79)

Overrated, Edgy, Disappointing, Dated, Great acting

See it if You want to see Very good acting. Will keep you engaged.

Don't see it if Felt dated and uneven .

Intense, Confusing, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Relevant

See it if you want to explore the issues affecting the Dreamers as they are pulled in different directions by each other and those they love.

Don't see it if you are bothered by quick, repetitive action in unison with light changes that lasts 20 minutes before you get to a traditional presentation Read more

Confusing, Thought-provoking, Intelligent, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if great acting & brilliant staging with a challenging plot & current themes is enough to hold your attention.

Don't see it if you need clarity about time and intention. The author makes interesting use of language, repetitions & black outs that only suggests motive

Majok, great chronicler of immigration woes, overthinks this one

See it if In first act 2-hander, sets in motion searing plot that displays uncertainty of being Dreamers

Don't see it if Second act artificial: makes protagonist choose btwn immigration status and LGBTQ love life; dated dealing w LGBTQ marriage limits now gone

Thought-provoking, Resonant, Relevant

See it if shows that hold up a mirror to society interest you. This is not an escapist night at the theatre. The show tackles immigration issues.

Don't see it if you'd rather forget your troubles and watch something that's pure entertainment. You'll need to use your head for this one.

Resonant, Relevant, Great writing, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if You love Majok’s work & would enjoy a fast-paced, timely play about immigration featuring well-drawn characters portrayed by great actors.

Don't see it if You hate two-people-on-a-bare-stage plays, and/or if you didn’t like the fast-vignette format of “Constellations”.

Profound, Intelligent, Thought-provoking, Great acting, Absorbing

See it if u like timely stories that make u feel the discomfort & uncertainty of our Dreamers; lighting in act 1 says it all; importance of friendship

Don't see it if 2nd act feels like a different play w/the addition of a 3rd actor, scenic changes & loss. I was heartbroken by the end of the play.

Implausible, Overstylized, Disappointing, Relevant

See it if you are interested in the plight of "dreamers" or if you want to see three talented young actors.

Don't see it if are looking for an uncluttered approach to the subject. The fist half is extremely fragmented by design. Read more

Critic Reviews (10)

"I have rarely seen a play that so effectively embodies the way external forces — in this case, immigration policies in the United States — distort the inner lives of actual humans."
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"A testament to theater's ability to give voice to the voiceless in deeply honest, profoundly moving ways. You're not likely to see a more powerful 100 minutes than this."
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Sanctuary City is a continuously gripping affair, with much to say about the shameful consequences of our immigration policies, and it would be a mistake to miss it. But be prepared for a major stylistic switch that -- in a small, but significant, way -- undermines the play's impact.
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"From scene to scene in the first section and in the lengthier closing sections, the actors raise playwright Majok to the heights she intends."
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"At a time of profound polarization on this delicate issue, Majok has given us something that transcends politics as only the best and most humane art can."
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"It is a daring dramatic ploy and not entirely successful. The direction and acting is first-rate and very taut but it cannot cover for the feeling that we are being given two separate plays, made more obvious by the lack of an intermission between the halves."
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Sanctuary City is not merely a memory play, but a snapshot of a time in America when safety was lost In Sanctuary City, Martyna Majok’s characters are searching for this safety – in country; in home; in family; in love; in each other.
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These stories are powerful, and we are drawn to them, not least because of the appeal of the young cast .... But the stories are told through Majok’s unconventional structure, which reads as clever...but [is] more of a puzzle...[because of] director Rebecca Frecknall’s self-conscious staging.
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The situation can’t quite hide the seams of diagrammatic stitching. Ultimately, it’s unable to prevent the feeling that contrivance is throwing shade on authenticity. There is, nonetheless, much to admire in Sanctuary City’s writing, staging, design, and acting.
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"Five stars!...Everything works in tandem in New York Theatre Workshop’s first play of the season. This play forces its audience to ask themselves the necessary questions about equality and sacrifice, and how far they would go to feel safe."
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