Living in America: The Waiting List is Full at zAmya Theater Project

With humor, history and humbling questions, Living in America asks, “What is public housing? Why is public housing? And why is the waitlist full?”

Living in America: The Waiting List is Full moves from sharp comedy to searing truth. The production opens with a prologue on the phrase “the waiting list,” setting a tone that invites audiences in with humor before leading them into deeper realities. Through movement-driven tableaux, the ensemble traces U.S. housing policy from the 1930s to the present—redlining, underfunding, displacement, and encampments—revealing how decades of decisions have shaped today’s housing crisis. Woven throughout are intimate first-hand accounts that make the impact visible: growing up in “the projects,” navigating broken case management systems, and finding resilience within communities too often overlooked.

The piece also looks outward, spotlighting international examples of models where housing is treated as a human right, not a market commodity. These contrasts ask a provocative question: what would it take for America to center human dignity in its approach to housing?

“We dream of housing that is for people, not profit—grounded in equity and racial justice,” the ensemble declares.

In an era when the word equity has been politicized and cast as controversial, Living in America reclaims its true meaning. By connecting equity to government-funded housing, the production challenges audiences to imagine policies and communities rooted in fairness, dignity, and justice for all.