Writer: Christine Rose
Director: Donna King
The best thing about Sanctuary, by Christine Rose, is the acting. Laura Shipler Chico’s Cassie and Andrea Milton-Furlotti’s Amelia have been friends since high school. They’re now middle-aged, having survived, at least in Amelia’s case, three marriages. The two actors are alert to all swift changes of mood between the two friends, who now seem to have less in common than they once had. Indeed, we are made aware of fundamental tensions which you’d think would make this friendship impossible. Although the play is oddly coy about naming names, basically, Cassie is a Democrat and Amelia a Republican.
An evening of intense, constantly shifting talk comes from the fact that the two women are barricaded up in Cassie’s basement apartment. Part of the reason for this becomes apparent – outside, some sort of civil disturbance is brewing (nicely captured by sound designer Jerry Chater). But what never becomes clear is quite why Amelia is visiting Cassie at this moment, or, more crucially, how long it’s been since the two got together. The fact that there seems to be much catching up to do allows for a considerable amount of exposition. We’re not surprised to learn Amelia had been a cheerleader. She’s still sporting the big blonde hair-do and pink leg warmers of her youth. It’s equally unsurprising that Cassie plays the opposite role, an ardent feminist who is disenchanted with men.
Amelia refuses to criticise the menfolk in her life. Her husband and son are members of ‘the Patriot Boys’ – in other words, the Proud Boys. But as the unrest in the street outside starts to escalate, Amelia holds onto her conviction that this is just male high spirits. We get a fairly good idea that her beliefs are going to be put to the test before the evening is out. Cassie, on the other hand, is given very little backstory. It feels as if she exists mostly as a foil to Amelia.
But can a school friendship really survive adult political convictions that are so polarised? The stark binary stands in the way of any sort of subtlety. Sanctuary is self-consciously topical, but the dialogue and characters never really rise above cliché.
Runs until 30 November 2024
Self-consciously topical
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