Remy Bumppo Theatre

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company prepares for the launch of Remy Bumppo's thinkTank, an annual theatrical exploration of an issue vital to Chicagoans. This year thinkTank explores the volatile issue of immigration and the project will include a world premiere play, a children’s show, three staged readings and moderated discussions nightly. thinkTank is presented this year in collaboration with Silk Road Theatre Project, Teatro Vista, Rasaka Theatre Company and the Children’s Museum of Immigration. Remy Bumppo’s thinkTank debuts March 22 and continues through April 15 at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse, 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The centerpiece of the project is the world premiere of An Immigrant Class, a new stage adaptation of Chicagoan Jeff Libman’s book An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago’s Newest Immigrants. The book of first-hand stories of recent Chicago immigrants is being adapted by Remy Bumppo Associate Artistic Director Shawn Douglass and directed by Artistic Associate Linda Gillum. The cast features Charin Alvarez, Phillip James Brannon, Tony Sancho and Rebecca Sohn.

Published in 2004 by Flying Kite, Inc., Jeff Libman’s book An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago’s Newest Immigrants is a collection of first-person oral histories documenting the immigrant experience of 20 of Chicago’s most recent immigrants from around the world.

Each chapter contains the story of a different immigrant and reveals the unique elements of life before immigration, the circumstances that motivated the move, the experience of immigrating, and the impressions of life and identity that continue to unfold and change in the United States. Author Jeff Libman, English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at Truman College, calls the book “an attempt to break through the various stereotypes of immigrants to introduce the humanity behind the myth; and to share the hopes, fears, tragedies and triumphs that make up the complexity of the immigrant experience.” Chicago author and oral historian Studs Terkel says, “The poignant accounts in An Immigrant Class are the backbone of our shared American experience and Jeff Libman does a true service in recounting these often overlooked human stories.”

An Immigrant Class curtain times are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit www.remybumppo.org or call the Victory Gardens Greenhouse box office at 773-871-3000.

A key component of the thinkTank experience is the nightly post-show discussion featuring speakers from the community representing various viewpoints on the topic of immigration. Speakers confirmed to date include:

3/22: Gail Montenegro, Spokesperson, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Marilu Cabrera, Regional Communications Manager, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Topic TBA.

3/23: "Who Comes to Chicago, From Where, and Why?".  Discussion led by Rob Paral, Research Fellow at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame and the American Immigration Law Foundation in Washington, DC, and Peter T. Alter, Curator of the Chicago History Museum.

3/24: Fred Tsao from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.  Topic TBA.

3/25: Refugees from around the world share their personal journeys and their unique perspective on adjusting to life in Chicago. Presented by Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries.
 
3/29: Jeff Libman, Author, An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago's Newest Immigrants and Elena Raskin, whose story is included in the performance of An Immigrant Class.

3/30: Greg Wangerin from Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries. Topic TBA.

3/31: Oscar A. Chacón, Executive Director, National Alliance of Latin American & Caribbean Communities.  Topic TBA.
 
4/5: Sylvia Puente, Director, Metropolitan Chicago Initiative; Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame.  Topic TBA.

4/6: Susan Gzesh, Director, The Human Rights Program at the University of Chicago presents "Beyond the border: why what happens in Mexico matters."

4/7 (after TeatroVista reading): Luis Gutierrez, Executive Director of Latinos Progresando.  Topic TBA.

4/8: "Unions and Apple Pie: Organizing to assimilate." A member of the Service Employees International Union, plus SEIU’s Sr. Communications Specialist Kevin O’Donnell, argue there is a strong connection between unionization and assimilation.
 
4/12: Jeff Libman, Author, An Immigrant Class: Oral Histories from Chicago's Newest Immigrants, and students from Truman College discuss living in Chicago with English as a second language.

4/15 (after Silk Road reading): Yusef El Guindi, playwright of Our Enemies, will be on hand to discuss the play.

Please check www.remybumppo.org  for further speaker information as it becomes available.