The Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota is inviting the public to a free performance of "Building the Wall."
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan wrote the play in the span of a week before Donald Trump was first elected President in 2016.
"Building the Wall" has been performed across the country since then, including off-Broadway productions in New York City.
Unitarian Universalist church member Neil Cowan, who has a background in acting and directing, said he wanted to bring the story to Sarasota.
"I wanted to present a piece that said something about what's going on today in terms of immigration and deportation," said Cowan.
In previous interviews, Schenkkan said he wrote the play in "a white hot fury" spurred by the anti-immigrant rhetoric of Trump's campaign.
The story takes place in 2019, in the aftermath of Trump's immigration policies. Martial law has been declared and thousands of immigrants are rounded up and sent to detention centers.
This reality unfolds through a conversation between an African American history professor, Gloria, and a former warden of a private detention center, Rick, who is in prison for crimes committed under his watch.
As Rick confesses to Gloria, he also rationalizes his actions.
"Some people say that something like this is a cautionary tale. It's no longer caution. I think we're in a crisis," said Cowan, who will play Rick. "It's not hard to see the parallels between what happens in the play and what's going on in the streets of our city."
Danielle Jacobs will play Gloria.
The play is 90 minutes without intermission. That's because "[it] builds in energy, and it's just too intense to take a break," said Cowan.
A Q&A with the actors will take place after the show.
"Building the Wall" will be performed Friday at 5 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota campus at 3975 Fruitville Road.
