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[0:00] Ruthie Fierberg: I'm Ruthie Fierberg, and this is Why We Theater.

[0:05] Ruthie Fierberg: The podcast that digs into the on-stage works we love to make the offstage change we need.

[0:12] Ruthie Fierberg: After all, that is Why We Theater.

[0:16] Ruthie Fierberg: Hello to all you listeners out there.

[0:20] Ruthie Fierberg: First, a huge thank you for tuning in and for following the podcast.

[0:25] Ruthie Fierberg: Thank you so so much.

[0:27] Ruthie Fierberg: And a reminder that if you like what you're listening to, please tell your friends, send them a link to your favorite episode, rate and review the podcast.

[0:38] Ruthie Fierberg: It really makes a difference.

[0:40] Ruthie Fierberg: But I am so happy that you're here and that you're continuing on your Why We Theater journey with me.

[0:47] Ruthie Fierberg: So last week we dug into SANCTUARY City by Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok.

[0:52] Ruthie Fierberg: If you haven't listened to the episode yet, it's so good.

[0:57] Ruthie Fierberg: Martyna is a woman with power and clarity and fire.

[1:02] Ruthie Fierberg: She's just cool.

[1:04] Ruthie Fierberg: And talking to her fired me up and also activated my compassion in such a calming way.

[1:11] Ruthie Fierberg: And that dichotomy is just impressive.

[1:14] Ruthie Fierberg: During our conversation, Martyna told us about how this play came to her while she was in the middle of writing another play.

[1:22] Ruthie Fierberg: It's a wild story that you have to hear.

[1:24] Ruthie Fierberg: And then our experts, Christian, Carolina, and Katie, all who work in different sectors related to immigration, policy, reform, and history, dropped a lot of knowledge in a short period of time.

[1:37] Ruthie Fierberg: If you ever wondered how we got our current immigration system, listen.

[1:42] Ruthie Fierberg: If you wonder how we can change our immigration system towards a more humane one while also recognizing that limitations are necessary, listen.

[1:50] Ruthie Fierberg: Basically, just listen.

[1:53] Ruthie Fierberg: And whether you saw SANCTUARY City in the theater or whether you listened to last week's episode and want to learn more about personal immigrant stories, I have the recommendation for you.

[2:07] Ruthie Fierberg: The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon.

[2:11] Ruthie Fierberg: The novel is a number one New York Times bestseller and a national book award finalist.

[2:16] Ruthie Fierberg: It was adapted into a movie, which I have not seen, so I can't speak to it, but it starred Yara Shahidi of Blackish and Charles Melton of Riverdale.

[2:26] Ruthie Fierberg: But back to the book because I have read that and I love it.

[2:34] Ruthie Fierberg: Natasha and Daniel are two high schoolers living in New York City, and a chance encounter causes them to meet and spend one incredible day together.

[2:44] Ruthie Fierberg: So they're not exactly best friends since the third grade, but they're still a lot like SANCTUARY City's B and G.

[2:51] Ruthie Fierberg: For a refresher, B and G are high schoolers living in Newark, New Jersey.

[2:57] Ruthie Fierberg: B and his mother came to the U.S. when he was a kid and is undocumented.

[3:01] Ruthie Fierberg: B's mother decides to return to her home, but gives B the choice of whether to stay or to go with her.

[3:07] Ruthie Fierberg: Meanwhile, G's mother becomes a citizen, and since G isn't 18 yet, that citizenship transfers and covers G.

[3:17] Ruthie Fierberg: In The Sun is Also a Star, Natasha is from a Jamaican immigrant family, a family about to be deported.

[3:24] Ruthie Fierberg: But Natasha came over as a toddler, so the only home she knows is in New York, and she is determined to fight until the last minute for her ability and her family's ability to stay.

[3:35] Ruthie Fierberg: Meanwhile, Daniel is from a Korean American family.

[3:39] Ruthie Fierberg: He's first generation.

[3:41] Ruthie Fierberg: The book chronicles their single day together, the day they meet.

[3:45] Ruthie Fierberg: And you guys, this book is absolutely magical.

[3:50] Ruthie Fierberg: I flew through it, but I wish I hadn't so that I could have savored it more.

[3:55] Ruthie Fierberg: It's simultaneously a surprising love story, a philosophical exploration about our universe, and a very real fight to survive another day.

[4:05] Ruthie Fierberg: Nicola manages to float in the ether of emotion and stay completely grounded in a hard reality.

[4:11] Ruthie Fierberg: The age of these characters, their relationship dynamic, their immigrant statuses all connect to SANCTUARY City.

[4:19] Ruthie Fierberg: So if one intrigues you, so will the other.

[4:22] Ruthie Fierberg: For those interested in exploring more stories about the Mexican borderlands, since we talked a lot about that last week, I recommend the series premiere of Padma Lakshmi's Taste the Nation on Hulu.

[4:34] Ruthie Fierberg: She explores the native cuisine and communities of the Twin Cities, El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico.

[4:41] Ruthie Fierberg: They are as close as Midtown and the Upper West Side.

[4:44] Ruthie Fierberg: Or for non-New Yorkers, they're as close as Minnesota's Twin Cities.

[4:48] Ruthie Fierberg: El Paso happens to be on the US side of the border and Juarez on the Mexican side.

[4:53] Ruthie Fierberg: How this impacts the food, the culture and the people is fascinating.

[4:58] Ruthie Fierberg: Padma and her team accomplish a lot in this half hour episode, so I highly recommend.

[5:04] Ruthie Fierberg: But if you're looking to cozy up with a book like I often am, similar to SANCTUARY City, The Sun is Also a Star is for you.

[5:16] Ruthie Fierberg: I'll leave this with you from the book jacket.

[5:19] Ruthie Fierberg: It says, Natasha, I'm a girl who believes in science and facts, not fate, not destiny, or dreams that will never come true.

[5:29] Ruthie Fierberg: I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him.

[5:35] Ruthie Fierberg: Not when my family is 12 hours away from being deported to Jamaica.

[5:39] Ruthie Fierberg: Falling in love with him won't be my story.

[5:42] Ruthie Fierberg: Daniel.

[5:44] Ruthie Fierberg: I've always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents' high expectations.

[5:49] Ruthie Fierberg: Never the poet or the dreamer.

[5:51] Ruthie Fierberg: But when I see her, I forget about all of that.

[5:54] Ruthie Fierberg: Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store for both of us.

[6:01] Ruthie Fierberg: The universe.

[6:03] Ruthie Fierberg: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment.

[6:06] Ruthie Fierberg: A million futures lie before us.

[6:09] Ruthie Fierberg: Which one will come true?

[6:13] Ruthie Fierberg: Why We Theater is a product of the Broadway Podcast Network.

[6:17] Ruthie Fierberg: It's edited and mixed by Derek Gunther.

[6:20] Ruthie Fierberg: If you like the show, subscribe at bpn.fm, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[6:27] Ruthie Fierberg: And don't forget to leave a review and tell your friends.

[6:29] Ruthie Fierberg: Our theme music is by Benjamin Velez.

[6:32] Ruthie Fierberg: Special thanks to Dori Berinstein, Alan Seales, Leigh Silverman, Patrick Taylor, Wesley Birdsall, Elena Mayer, and Suzanne Chipkin.

[6:41] Ruthie Fierberg: For more resources for change, info about our guests, and more, visit us at WhyWeTheater.com.