Theatre News Wire

By popular demand, Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) remounts its smash hit production, Home/Land, in a limited summer run at Goodman Theatre, concluding the 2013 Latino Theatre Festival. A powerful portrait of the human effects on American immigration laws, Home/Land's January 2012 premiere at Albany Park was extended three times, played to 100% capacity throughout its three-month run, and was hailed "truly astonishing" (Chicago Sun-Times), and "intimate, confronting, funny, activating and inspiring" (Chicago Reader). Performed in English with Spanish subtitles and directed by David Feiner, a "director who knows how to fuse movement, story and self-expression with sophisticated artistry that shapes, hones, empowers" (Chicago Tribune), Home/Land runs July 18 - 28 in the Owen Theatre.

"We wanted to make a play that was brutally honest about the unfairness of the immigration system as it now stands, but that would focus on people whose resilience and optimism provided us with hope," said David Feiner, producing artistic director and founder of APTP. "The stories of Home/Land hit especially close to home for our youth ensemble, many of whom are immigrants and nearly all of whom come from immigrant families. All of us at Albany Park Theater Project are thrilled at the opportunity to share Home/Land with audiences at the Goodman as part of the Latino Theatre Festival."

Conceived, written, choreographed, composed and performed by APTP, a "prodigiously gifted, exquisitely directed youth theater ensemble" (Chicago Sun-Times), Home/Land is the result of a year-long process during which the company's youth ensemble and adult artists conducted interviews, attended rallies and examined the ramifications of immigration laws in their own lives. Home/Land features an ensemble cast of 25 multi-ethnic artists ranging in ages from 13 to 18, including Lesley Albarran, Osbaldo Antuñez, Marilyn Carteño, Gibran Carrisoza, Stephanie Castrejon, Jancillin Chacko, Kayla Victoria Ciccone, Randy Kim Dang, Lilia Teresa Escobar, Ely Espino, Kito Espino, David Gauna, JP Marquez, Nichole A. Martinez, Kimberly Mayo, Vincent K. Meredith, Luis Manuel Millan, Paloma Morales, Bladimir Orduño, Stephany Perez, Paola Rico, Raul Rico, Jalen D. Rios, Kyra Mae Robinson and Electra Tremulis.
Home/Land is directed by APTP's artistic staff including Feiner, Associate Director Maggie Popadiak, Resident Directors Colby Beserra and Rossana Rodríguez Sanchez and Resident Artists Mikhail Fiksel and Stephanie Paul. The production team includes Jeremy Getz (lighting), Mikhail Fiksel (music composition and sound), Scott C. Neale set) and Mieka van der Ploeg (costumes).