This past Wednesday, December 5, 2018, our IDC class traveled to St. Ann’s Warehouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn to see the play named “The Jungle.” Based on the true events of the refugee crisis in Calais, France, “The Jungle” depicts the story of how a bunch of refugees with different backgrounds and cultures build an entire city from merely nothing and learn how to unite and live together. Never being exposed to a play before, I was unsure what to expect from this performance. I thought that it was going to be a lot of singing, like the operas we have seen. However, when I walked into St. Ann’s Warehouse, I immediately felt and saw the difference. From the casual audience to the jungle like setting, this immediately felt like a more informal event that a student could relate to. As I looked around the building, I saw what appeared to be some construction or renovations they were doing at St Ann’s Warehouse, however, I later found out that this was done intentionally to bring the audience into Calais. From this work, I could tell that the staff had put a lot of time and effort into making the experience as realistic as possible. I was shocked to find out that the whole building was transformed into a jungle like scenery, and decided that I might actually enjoy the performance.
Although many scenes from this play were striking, the scene that was particularly moving for me was the school scene, where Beth, the school teacher, was trying to teach English to Norullah through storytelling. She was allowing Norullah to make up the story and kept emphasizing that he repeats the story to better learn English. This was meaningful to me because I felt like not many people would be willing to help these refugees, but Beth truly believed that these refugees would be able to learn english. The refugee camp in Calais was built as a temporary place living space in hopes that they would one day be granted asylum in the U.K. For this reason, it was necessary for them to learn english, and Beth was the one who believed they can learn and make it to the U.K.
Although this past Wednesday night was definitely a long one, it was definitely worth while. Being a late night event, on the longest school days of my week, I was unsure if I was going to like the play, or even be able to stay awake for the whole performance. After being teased by my siblings about having to stay out late on a weekday, I explained to them that they were the ones who missed out and strongly urged them all to give it a shot. I am glad I got to experience something so unique and moving and hopefully this play brings this atrocity to the attention of many others.
Hey Jason,
This was a very well written blog post. I too thoroughly enjoyed the performance, it truly exceeded my expectations. I was also very touched by Beth’s effort to teach the refugees English. This reflected the true level of dedication found within the camp to help improve conditions. Educating others on how to speak another language can go a long way for these individuals. It really speaks to me because it also encourages me to provide support for these people. Sometimes we fail to consider the needs of others, especially people like those found in the camp. We should all work to be more considerate of others. Empathy and compassion can go a long way in ensuring the survival of one’s life.