A game of chance, question of justice: ‘The Detention Lottery’ comes to Olympia 

Rachel Benton

When you go to the theater, especially an immersive theater experience, your brain automatically wants to think of everything as fiction.

"The Detention Lottery" challenges that instinct, and asks us to confront the uncomfortable reality of what is happening in our communities, our state, and our country. 

As described on Margret O’Donnell’s website, "The Detention Lottery" is designed to “immerse the viewer in an immigration detention center courtroom,” where select audience members are detained upon entry, assigned identities as immigrants, and asked to defend themselves against deportation without preparation. O’Donnell describes the play as an attempt to bring the immigration enforcement system into public view. 

Attending a show like this slaps you with a sobering truth: the experiences being portrayed are not some distant dystopian fiction. They are rooted in the very real experiences of people navigating immigration detention and deportation. O’Donnell brings that harsh reality into sharp focus through the circumstances and stories at the heart of this one-act play. 

Read more about "The Detention Lottery" on Margaret O’Donnell’s website 

We are fortunate to have this play coming to Olympia, and to have local director Amy Youngblood investing so much of herself in making the experience meaningful for audiences. Youngblood has described participatory theater as a way to build community as much as create theater, and that spirit feels especially fitting for a production like this. 

With a suggested donation of $20 or more, this one-night only immersive production will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Olympia, 1224 Legion Way SE. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and no tickets are required. 

Audiences, I encourage you to come with questions — and to make time for the post-performance talkback. Practicing immigration attorneys will be there to share information, along with local immigrant serving organizations that can connect community members with ways to learn more and get involved. 

Chatting with Youngblood 

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to chat with Amy Youngblood and another member of her production team. Unfortunately, through a strange and frustrating turn of events, the recording of our conversation completely disappeared. I made every recovery attempt I could think of, but to no avail. Our conversation was gone.  

With a full schedule ahead of me, there was no wiggle room to reschedule. So today, I bring you the parts of our conversation that spoke most deeply to my heart — the moments and ideas that stayed with me long after our conversation ended and became, in their own way, unforgettable. 

What makes the idea of "The Detention Lottery" so profound is the power it speaks through art. Throughout my writing for this column, I have witnessed countless occasions when the arts have spoken to something more powerfully, more personally, and perhaps even more convincingly than any heated discussion ever could. 

Our minds and hearts open when we sit in an audience. We learn humanity through the way it courses through veins of well-written scripts, performances, paintings, music, and every other artistic medium. Art can reach places that arguments sometimes cannot. 

Art, especially immersive experiences, can be a powerful tool for political and social discussion for us as adults. But I want you to stop and think for a second about our youth; the next generation who is going to inherit the mess we’ve created.  

Sometimes, complex topics like the ones being discussed here are difficult for some adults — even myself at times — to fully understand. Can you imagine being a student living through all of this? Sitting in a classroom, hearing about the American Dream, while leaving school to come home to what feels like the American nightmare? 

Art is a universal language, and Youngblood and I believe this production can break through barriers created by misunderstanding. It can offer a path through the cerebral forest that holds all the questions we carry — the questions that have yet to reach the surface. It can be the guiding light toward understanding, compassion, a passion for advocacy, and a heart for community.  

Man, I still wish I had those notes from our conversation. The one thing that lifts my bummed out, embarrassed spirit is knowing that, while I try each week to speak about art as a way to participate in community and enrich our lives, art ultimately speaks for itself. 

So come, dear reader, and listen to what it has to say. Growth is waiting for you in the audience. 

To learn more about this event, visit the JOLT Events Calendar. 

Rachel is a writer, arts advocate, performing arts enthusiast, and passionate about our beloved Thurston County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Political Science and a minor in Music. You can enjoy more of Rachel's writings by visiting her website. All inquiries for Rachel can be submitted here.