Sarah Jones’s solo performance piece, "America, Who Hurt You?", currently staged at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn, offers a multifaceted exploration of American identity through the lens of a diverse and complex family. Written and performed by Jones, the show personifies the United States as a multiracial and often dysfunctional family grappling with its internal conflicts and collective trauma.
The production, directed by Eric Ting in collaboration with the National Black Theater and Theater for a New Audience, originated from Jones’s podcast of the same name and premiered at Oxford University in spring 2023. Described by Jones as a work in progress, the play blends humor and introspection to encourage self-reflection and empathy, with Britain appearing as an elder sibling expressing concern over America’s current state. This allegorical intervention frames America as a vain and distracted adolescent in denial, prompting a theatrical therapeutic session designed to diagnose and address the nation’s deep-seated troubles.
Jones brings to life a rotating cast of characters drawn from her own multiracial family and broader American society. These roles include Nereida, a Dominican-Puerto Rican woman who navigates linguistic and cultural tensions; Rashid, a Black man who challenges white audiences to take responsibility for systemic issues; and Lorraine, a Holocaust survivor who expresses gratitude for America’s refuge and defends Jones’s attempt to unify disparate voices. Jones’s ability to shift seamlessly between these personas highlights her skill in embodying complex perspectives with nuance and compassion.
While some characters, such as Hank, a white Southerner, have been critiqued for lacking depth or appearing overly constructed, the show addresses a broad spectrum of historical and contemporary experiences. Scenes traverse time periods from the antebellum South to modern-day California, including a poignant vignette featuring a gay man in 1980s Chicago caring for his immigrant mother, which underscores the play’s commitment to acknowledging enduring pain and resilience within the nation.
The production also engages with evolving cultural sensitivities around identity performance. Jones, who previously received acclaim for portraying immigrant characters in her 2006 Tony-winning solo show "Bridge & Tunnel," approaches these portrayals with care, avoiding presumptuousness and emphasizing shared humanity.
Set and costume designs by Jiyoung Chang and Toni-Leslie James respectively contribute to the show’s versatile staging. Although the piece has been noted for moments of uneven pacing and forced humor, it remains a probing examination of America’s contradictions and challenges. Like the country it depicts, "America, Who Hurt You?" is depicted as a work still in progress—searching for coherence and balance, but hopeful in its vision for collective healing.