The Whiting Hill Theater Project is drawing connections between the stories of the past and the stories of today, with a play based on stories of historic immigrants and refugees making their way from Europe to America.
“Sanctuary,” a play written and directed by Linda Stowe-Ladouceur of Wilton, tells the stories of four immigrant families making their way to the United States to flee poverty, famine and religious persecution.
The play will have its second annual showing Nov. 9 at the Town Hall Theater.
Stowe-Ladouceur wrote the play as part of her curriculum at the Whiting Hill School, a one-room schoolhouse she runs out of her home. The script has been adapted and expanded for a theater group, which includes children and adults, many of whom attended Stowe-Ladouceur’s schoolroom.
Stowe-Ladouceur said when she wrote the pieces, the concept of “sanctuary cities” was often in the news, with several towns in the region voting on whether to define themselves as a sanctuary town during March Town Meeting.
Stowe-Ladouceur, who has been following the stories of family separation at the Mexican border, said the play has only become more relevant.
“It’s not better. If anything, it’s worse,” she said. “We’re doing the same play again, because it’s timely.”
This year, the play has been expanded. Last year, it followed three immigrant families, including two Irish sisters escaping the Irish famine, two Jewish brothers fleeing Poland and a Jewish German mother and her children all trying to escape Europe at the start of World War II.
While none of the stories are directly biographical, they pull elements from real stories of their times. This year, Stowe-Ladouceur is adding another tale, with elements that are highly personal to her: The immigration of a Swedish family, based on her own Great-Grandmother, Hannah Svedberg.
When Hannah came to America to join her husband, Stowe-Ladouceur said, she came with her five children, one of whom was developmentally disabled, carried on Hannah’s back. Because of her child’s disability, the family was nearly not let into the country, and was detained for two weeks.
Stowe-Ladouceur said it’s difficult to imagine how terrifying that must have been.
“She knew no English, she had five children to take care of, and they were held up for two weeks, not knowing if they’d be let into the country,” Stowe-Ladouceur said.
Eventually, the family was admitted, and Hannah was able to join her husband. While he would occasionally return to Sweden to visit family, Hannah never returned.
Prior to the performance, three real-life immigrants from the community will speak to the audience about their own immigrant experience, including Miralem Mulabegovics of Milford, who is originally from Bosnia, Sali Polus of Manchester, who is originally from Iraq and Justin Mazimpaka of Milford, originally from Rwanda.
The talks and performance will begin at 1 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre on Nov. 9. Admission is free.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.