Chicago Latine companies, artists and shows participating in the 7th Destinos Festival are:
Elvira, a world premiere from Colectivo El Pozo, tells the true story of Elvira Arellano, a Mexican immigrant, single mother, worker, and eventual activist, who, fearing deportation, took sanctuary for a year in a Humboldt Park church in 2005. Elvira, written by Raúl Dorantes and directed by Mark Litwicki, runs October 2-26 at the Charlie Chaplin Hall at St. Augustine College in Uptown. Press opening is Thursday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Teatro Tariakuri in Chicago Lawn presents the U.S. premiere of El Piélago de las Calamidades, a comedy by Alejandro Licona, directed by Karla Galván, about the unwritten story of what happened to the nomadic actors who Hamlet hired to represent the murder of his father. Performances are October 5-27. Press opening is Saturday, October 5 at 7 p.m.
The setting is Wrigley Field, Cubs versus the Brewers, in the world premiere dramedy Que Te Vaya Bien from Subtext Studio Theatre, debuting October 10-27 at the Greenhouse Theater. After learning his wife is pregnant, Elias buys a ticket to the Cubs game to spiritually connect with his deceased father, in the hope of gaining some clarity on what it means to be a good father. A new play written by Omar Vicente Fernandez and directed by Octavio Montes De Oca. Press opening is Friday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Childhood photo of Ruth Guerra, writer and star of Concrete Content's world premiere of Ruth on the Rocks, directed by Ricardo Gamboa, October 11 - November 16 at The Storyfront in Back of the Yards. |
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Concrete Content presents the world premiere of Ruth on the Rocks, a dramedy developed and directed by Ricardo Gamboa, written by and starring Ruth Guerra. Ruth is just your average Mexican American, middle-aged girl that grew up in the hood on Chicago’s south side. Ruth loves a good drink or ten, her jams and a messy relationship. Oh! She’s also a mother and grandmother, regular at a few bars and backyards, sometimes actor and storyteller, and still grieving her father. She probably needs a therapist or an Ayahuasca trip but instead this veteran of Chicago’s underground Latino performance and storytelling scene made a play about her hot ass mess of a life. Performances are October 11 - November 16 at The Storyfront in Back of the Yards. Press opening is Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m. Jeff Award-winning Visión Latino Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Jocey y Las Mariachis, a one-woman musical created by Jocey Villa, October 12-27 at the APO Culture Center in Pilsen. |
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Jeff Award-winning Visión Latino Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Jocey y Las Mariachis, a one-woman musical created by Jocey Villa, directed by Yajaira Custodio. Experience one woman’s musical journey through culture, love and self-discovery in Chicago, accompanied by live mariachi music! Performances are October 12-27 at the APO Culture Centerin Pilsen. Press opening is Monday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Albany Park Theater Project and Third Rail Projects present the return of their hit immersive production, Port of Entry. Step inside the real-life stories of immigrants and refugees from all parts of the world living side by side in a single apartment building in Albany Park. Each performance welcomes just 28 audience members into an iconic courtyard apartment building meticulously recreated in a 12,000 square foot warehouse. With each step, guests experience the struggles, joys and triumphs of people forging new lives alongside one another. The Chicago Tribune called the original 2023 staging “an astonishing piece of work…a beautiful and fresh tribute to those who came first.” Performances are October 17-November 2. Press opening is Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m.
Destinos Spotlight Week returns with a series of one-night-only performances highlighting Chicago’s local talent, including Antojitos Improv on October 19 at The Den Theatre.
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Destinos Spotlight Week returns with a series of one-night-only performances highlighting Chicago’s local talent. Enjoy storytelling hosted by Nestor Gomez on October 18, Antojitos Improv on October 19 and a Latine edition of Physical Theater Scratch Night on October 21. All performances are at The Den Theatre.
Cabaret Parodia presents Más Dramáticas, written and directed by Esteban Pantoja, a comedy about an acting school director who shares the history of her prestigious academy and reveals the intense drama behind the auditions of five extraordinary students, each played by Chicago Latine drag performers. With fierce competition, high stakes and unwavering ambition, these girls are prepared to give it their all. Expect more music, more laughter, more wigs and more drama. Two shows only, October 23 and 24 at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Press opening is Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m.
Repertorio Latino Theater presents the Chicago premiere of Juicio a una Zorra, a dramatic monologue by Miguel Del Arco, directed by Sebastian Ligarde. Mafer Roussell plays Helen of Troy, famous for her beauty that sparked the most renowned war of Antiquity, and vilified as the adulterous queen of Sparta. Performances are October 24-November 10 at Citlalin Gallery & Theater. Press opening is Thursday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Aguijón Theater, the city’s longest running Latino and Spanish-language theater, based in Belmont-Cragin, presents the Chicago premiere of Adverses, a contemporary take on the Electra myth by Rey Andujar, directed by Sándor Menéndez and Marcela Muñoz. This is a humorous yet poignant tragicomedy about the corrosive nature of the pursuit of power and the often-complicated relationship between mothers and daughters. Performances are November 1-December 15. Press opening is Friday, November 1 at 8 p.m.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Aguijón Theater will present a remount of Cintas de seda, about an imagined encounter between Frida Kahlo and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz,four shows only, November 7-10 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, where Aguijón first performed in 1990. |
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Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Aguijón Theater will also present a remount of Cintas de seda, four shows only, November 7-10 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, where Aguijón first performed in 1990. On the eve of Day of the Dead, Frida Kahlo and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz come together in an impossible dialogue where ghosts, hallucinations, and images of the past are present from death in a poetic representation of life. This special run will also serve as a fundraiser for Chicago’s longest running Spanish language theater company. Press opening is Thursday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.
Where Did We Sit on the Bus?, the smash hit solo musical by Chicago native Brian Quijada, performed by the acclaimed multi-hyphenated Chicago artist Satya Chavez, runs for a very limited engagement, November 15-17 at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater. During a third grade lesson on the Civil Rights movement and Rosa Parks, a Latina child raises her hand to ask, “Where did we sit on the bus?” Her teacher can’t answer the question. Performed by Chavez, an actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and intersectional feminist, and infused with Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and live-looping, don’t miss this high-octane, tour-de-force theatrical experience that examines what it means to be Latine in America. Press opening is Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m.
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