Join us at Fauntleroy Church, United Church of Christ for The Detention Lottery. Given our mission to preserve justice, peace, and the sanctity of God’s world, the congregation is delighted to co-sponsor this event. As we say every Sunday, whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here so please come to this remarkable play.

The Detention Lottery returns
to West Seattle on Sunday, February 22
Seven detained. No questions answered.
Decisions rendered. Lives changed forever. All in under 60 minutes.

The Detention Lottery and talkback with practicing immigration attorneys
An Immersive Theater Experience
Margaret O’Donnell, playwright Amy Youngblood, Director
Chih-yu Chao, Production Coordinator June Stacey-Clemons, Production Assistant

Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 4:00 pm
Fauntleroy Church UCC, 9140 California Ave SW
Sponsored by Fauntleroy Church UCC Immigration Task Force and West Seattle Indivisible
Admission is free
All proceeds benefit the projects of the Immigration Task Force

The Detention Lottery takes the audience past today’s scary headlines and news clips, directly into the detention courtroom. We witness desperate consultations between detainees and attorneys, realizing that these few moments together could determine their future forever. We sit in the courtroom where decisions are rendered, seeing for ourselves the justice being served in our name.

The immersive impact starts before the play begins. “ICE agents” prowl the audience, “arresting” members on the spot and delivering them to the detention cell, where they are assigned a role of detainee.

Practicing immigration attorneys take key roles in each production, then lead the talkback after the performance. The other roles are covered by actors, activists, and advocates who care about immigrant justice enough to bring it to the stage.

“The Detention Lottery is accurate, but not a documentary. It is theater, grounded in real life. It raises awareness without threatening, educates without lecturing, and can raise money without charging admission. And it packs a wallop to everyone who sees it,” says Amy Youngblood, who has directed each performance since its revival last spring. “We bring the performance at no charge to the sponsoring organization. At the same time, nonprofit organizations are welcome to produce their own shows with no royalties, as The Detention Lottery is licensed under the Creative Commons license.”

Playwright Margaret O’Donnell, a retired practicing immigration attorney, once despaired of trying to convey to others just what justice was being served in the public’s name. She discovered a talent for writing plays, and in 2018, St. Mark’s Cathedral launched The Detention Lottery to great acclaim. Since then, dozens of sponsoring organizations have presented The Detention Lottery to stunned audiences, raising awareness, inspiration for activism, and funds for immigrant justice projects.

Last year, a change in directors prompted a program refresh. A mutual friend introduced Amy to Margaret O’Donnell. In each other they found the emotional intensity needed to propel such a distinct experience back into public awareness. Chih-yu Chao provides technical organization and sundry wizardry, and June Stacey-Clemons assists with everything necessary to put on a show.

Participating in The Detention Lottery means more than putting on a show. It means joining a community that brings together actors, activists, and advocates in new ways.

Future Productions include:

Saturday, March 21, 2026, St. James Cathedral

Sunday, April 19, Bothell United Methodist Church

Sunday, May 3, Center for Spiritual Living, Ballard

“Actors and advocates bring storytelling. Advocates and activists bring purpose. Activists and Actors bring action. All of these participants bring fresh, intense energy to each production,” Amy says. “We build a community of people who feel the drive to tell these stories compellingly. As the pool grows, so grows our ability to bring performances to any sponsoring organization who asks.” The pool also sparks new friendships and collaborations as like-minded individuals will do.
Each performance means a new sponsor, a new venue, and a new cast. Amy works to incorporate all of the sponsor’s values into their production. Informational handouts? Got them. Time to talk about the organization’s projects? Check. The venue commonly means a church sanctuary, meaning carving a stage set out of space designed for worship. The cast includes practicing immigration attorneys who take roles, then conduct the talkback afterward.

Beyond sanctuary stages, dedicated volunteers have produced a radio-drama version to submit to an international festival. Last month two attorneys and three actors enacted a scene, then led a talkback, for a Rotary Club meeting.