Sanctuary city

by Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna MajoK

Directed by Juliana Caycedo

March 6 - 22, 2025

Their past brought them here, but will the future let them stay?

Sanctuary City by Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok is an intensely moving tale set in 2001 Newark, NJ, where two teenagers, brought to America as children, grapple with an impossible choice: what are they willing to risk to stay in the only home they've ever known? As they navigate the tender moments of coming-of-age, they must confront the harsh realities that threaten their dreams. A powerful exploration of love, sacrifice, and resilience, Sanctuary City transcends time and memory, offering a poignant look at the struggles and hopes of those seeking a place to belong.

Performances WILL BE at Richmond Triangle Players - Robert B. Moss Theatre (1300 Altamont Ave, Richmond, VA 23230)

SANCTUARY CITY is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by

TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com


  • "Martyna Majok's Sanctuary City is exquisite urban poetry at its finest."

    – Rikki Lee Travolta, Chicago Culture Authority

  • “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.”

    – Jesse Green, The New York Times

  • “A testament to theater's ability to give voice to the voiceless in deeply honest, profoundly moving ways.”

    — David Gordon, TheaterMania

  • “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.”

    — Elyse Gardner, New York Stage Review

meet the cast

  • B

    ERICH APPLEBY

  • G

    ANNE MICHELLE FORBES

  • HENRY

    KEATON HILLMAN

  • u/s - b

    AIDAN CAMPBELL

  • U/S - G

    KATHERINE NGUYEN

  • U/S - HENRY

    DJ CUMMINGS-HERDOIZA

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM

Director - Juliana Caycedo

Production Stage Manager - Tariq Karriem

Scenic Designer - Dasia Gregg

Lighting Designer - Gretta Daughtery

Sound Designer - Kyle Epps

Costume Designer - Sassy Rychalski

Technical Director - Rebecka Russo


ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

MARTYNA MAJOK

Martyna Majok was born in Bytom, Poland and raised in Jersey and Chicago. She was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Cost of Living. Other plays include Sanctuary City, Queens, and Ironbound, which have been produced across American and international stages. Awards include The Academy of Arts and Letters’ Benjamin Hadley Danks Award for Exceptional Playwriting, The Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding New Play, The Greenfield Prize, as the first female recipient in drama, The Champions of Change Award from the NYC Mayor’s Office, The Francesca Primus Prize, two Jane Chambers Playwriting Awards, The Lanford Wilson Prize, The Lilly Award’s Stacey Mindich Prize, Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play from The Helen Hayes Awards, Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, ANPF Women’s Invitational Prize, David Calicchio Prize, Global Age Project Prize, NYTW 2050 Fellowship, NNPN Smith Prize for Political Playwriting, and Merage Foundation Fellowship for The American Dream.

Martyna studied at Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, University of Chicago, and Jersey public schools. She was a 2012-2013 NNPN playwright-in-residence, the 2015-2016 PoNY Fellow at the Lark Play Development Center, and a 2018-2019 Hodder Fellow at Princeton University.

Martyna is currently writing a musical adaptation of The Great Gatsby, with music by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett, and developing TV and film for HBO, Plan B, and Pastel.


Sanctuary City: Resources for Support and Involvement

At 5th Wall Theatre, we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for all.
We recognize that the themes explored in Sanctuary City can be deeply personal and challenging. To show our support, we have gathered a collection of resources to provide emotional support, foster understanding, and encourage community involvement. Whether you are directly impacted by these issues or seeking ways to help others, we hope these resources offer guidance, comfort, and opportunities for connection. Together, we can build a stronger, more compassionate community.

EMPOWERING STORIES

INSPIRING CHANGE

THEATRE BEYOND BOUNDARIES

EMPOWERING STORIES • INSPIRING CHANGE • THEATRE BEYOND BOUNDARIES •