Detained

Reviewed by Martίn Hernández

Through April 10

Recommended

“Why am I here?” is the collective cry of the immigrants whose true stories are portrayed in France-Luce Benson’s searing, new docudrama. Conceived, commissioned, and co-created by Judy Rabinovitz, special counsel for the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, Benson and Rabinovitz culled the tales from interviews of detainees, their families and attorneys and even ICE employees.

Despite many possessing permanent resident status or awaiting their citizenship, they were deemed undesirable because of a past criminal conviction (a provision of a 1996 policy passed by Congress, signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton and ramped up by every administration since.) Detained for months and even years, some can stay, some get deported, all are traumatized.

Clad in fluorescent orange jumpsuits, the characters run the gamut. Some are stoic, like Amadou (Theodore Perkins), whose path from Guinea to the American Dream devolves into nightmare. Most are scared, like Freddy (Michael Uribes), who refuses to open his door to anyone because a relative, enticed by a “Free Donuts” flyer, did so and was scooped up by ICE when they tried to collect the bait.

Melida (Liana Aráuz), a Guatemalan single mother is considered fearless by her teenage daughter (Camila Ascencio) and is portrayed as a superhero in a very clever and poignant bit. But Melida must belie her strength because only by a fear of returning to her violence-wracked country does she stand a chance to stay in this violence-wracked one.  

Bernadette (Marlo Su), a Haitian immigrant, heartbreakingly relates her brother Warren’s (Will Dixon) Kafkaesque immigration hearings, as a judge (Perkins) asks confusing bureaucratic questions of an already mentally distraught Warren, whose dependence on his “counsel” may thwart his case.

Christine Avila is Claudia, the immigration lawyer/narrator, a hovering guardian angel over the proceedings. Despite struggling with lines, she makes a compelling case on the insanity of the decades-long politicization of U.S. immigration policy. Jan Munroe portrays an immigration judge as the epitome of the good-hearted liberal trying to change an unredeemable system from within.

Mark Valdez’s direction is brisk and Benson’s ofttimes heavy-handed script is earnest beyond reproach. Kudos also to set designer Sarah Krainin for her multi-level “cell block” platforms and benches, from which are poised media designer Matt Soson’s video screens, broadcasting onstage selfie footage from cellphones used by cast members that heightens the intimacy between characters and audience.

Benson has stated that the piece is a “living document” that is constantly updated. Hopefully, in the future she and Rabinovitz can include some Asian voices, considering the recent uptick in detention and deportation of Cambodian immigrants.

Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles; Fri.-Sat., Mon., 8 pm, Sat., Sun., 2 pm; thru April 10. www.FountainTheatre.com Running time: one hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.