On Wednesday night, December 5th, our Macaulay class headed to St. Ann’s Warehouse in Dumbo to see “The Jungle.” Having read several articles and excerpts before the show, I had a vague idea of what to expect. I was aware of what the jungle was and the value of theater and I was excited to see the two play together. However, despite all the reading and classroom discussions, the show was still completely different than I expected.
Missing the first act, I was very upset and quite stressed out. I asked a few other students to fill me in on the show and tried to piece together the different ideas. I had figured out that the refugees had built the jungle and towards the end of the first act the French government arrived. I knew the history from the readings so I was able to catch up on context pretty quick. Yet within the first few moments of the first scene of the second act, I was enthralled. A white girl in a red jacket (who I later learned was named Beth) was talking to a refugee. I was surprised at how kind she was in trying to help as I expected her not to understand. She was trying really hard to understand and their conversation was a striking moment for me. There was a language barrier between them and she struggled to understand his life. No matter which words she chose, they were never the right words and she struggled to communicate with him. When she said “I understand,” he questioned her “You understand how?” I felt the power of his words and I realized, I myself, don’t understand. After constantly stressing to find the right words, she stops and he speaks. I had chills throughout his speech, especially when he considers himself dead; a refugee dies many times. I found that line to be powerful and capture the essence of the entire Jungle in one scene. I found it a rather depressing and unfortunate reality and couldn’t help but think about how blessed we are to live in a country where we are welcomed. The show was very sad as I watched the jungle fall apart. There was a lot of fighting and screaming, cursing and crying, and I was really moved by the emotional impact of the performance.
Dear Esther,
I’m sorry you missed the first act of the show, as it set the scene for the climactic chaos in the second part. However the scene you describe in your post is the one that I referenced in mine. It is interesting, though, to see your perspective on the scene. I am glad that you recognized that like Beth, you don’t fully understand what the refugee has gone through or experienced. I cannot say that I wholeheartedly understand his pain either, and his speech and the scars he had on his body made it seem all too real. I agree, this show was very sad but that is the reality that many people (refugees) cannot escape from.