Carmen Viviano-Crafts never expected to be brought to tears at a theater in small town Norway, Maine last summer. But during the production of “American Dreams: Immigration Stories,” she found she could not hold them back. 

Watching the performance made Crafts think of the value of immigrants in her own city, Syracuse. Syracuse, a sanctuary city, limits its adhesion to federal immigration policies in order to protect low-risk immigrants from deportation. Syracuse has a high population of both immigrants and refugees from across the world.  

The production will show on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m at ArtRage. Though the event won’t be ticketed, a $10 suggested donation aims to raise money for both the gallery and the Friends of Farmworkers House, an advocacy and education group for low-wage migrant workers.  

This will be award-winning actress Crafts’ directorial debut. The play was written by Linda Britt as a series of vignettes from the perspectives of immigrants in America. It also features immigration stories from Bosnia, Iran and Honduras.  

“Here in Syracuse … (‘American Dreams’) is an accurate reflection of reality for many, many people,” Crafts said. “We must recognize what our neighbors and community members have lived through and continue to deal with within the US immigration system.”  

ArtRage director, Rose Viviano, who is also Crafts’ mother, said on that trip to Maine, said they both thought “American Dreams” was a great addition to the discussion around immigrants in America today.  

“It’s important to be thinking about what it means to be in a position where you feel compelled to leave everything you know,” Viviano said. “This doesn’t happen in some kind of vacuum.”  

The scripted monologues are drawn from actual interviews Britt, a professor at the University of Maine Farmington, conducted with immigrants. Distressed by the anti-immigrant rhetoric she saw coming from Washington, Britt said producing the play felt like something small but impactful that she could do to make a difference.  

Britt said she often hopes an audience member will bring an uncle, aunt or other family member who is not pro-immigration, and that her work will help them see immigrants in a different light. 

“It’s one thing to read news items or see TV coverage about people you don’t know … there’s a distance,” said Britt. “It’s another to hear a heartfelt story from someone who might have lived the story.”  

In regards to casting, Crafts said she was conscious of putting together a diverse group to accurately reflect the diversity of the roles being embodied.  

One of the play’s most moving monologues, in Crafts opinion, tells the story of a 12-year-old Honduran girl trying to get a message to her mother. In Crafts’ production, the monologue will be performed by 12-year-old Kailana Rowser in her stage debut.  

Crafts also reached out to local activists alongside more seasoned actors, like Syracuse Peace Council steering committee member Aly Wane. Wane, a self-described undocumented activist, said organizing around the project was a way for him to have a conversation about the current state of immigration. 

Wane came to America undocumented as a child; today, at 42, he is still in the process of gaining legal citizenship. The fact that he even has an avenue to do so, Wane said, makes him one of the lucky ones. 

“The reason I wanted to participate is that these are stories I hear every day,” Wane said. “Some stories of success, and some stories that are very painful, of family separation, incarceration and deportation.”   

For cast member Gerard Moses, a similar favorite aspect of the production is the variety of different character voices the monologues span. When asked what he hopes audiences will leave the production with, Moses replied “a fresh awareness of what it means to be an immigrant.”  

As for Crafts, she said she hopes audiences will leave the production with a sense of connection, beyond the imaginary lines borders create between people and places. This is something she said theatre is a good medium for.  

“What theatre is really wonderful at is sparking empathy,” Crafts said.  

Published on November 11, 2019 at 11:36 pm