West Ridge Story Festival
In 2019, the West Ridge Story Festival brought community stories to the theatrical stage. The initiative was built on a foundation of collaboration with 20 neighborhood organizations, including public schools, parks, cultural centers, and social service organizations. This professionally produced, four-day event showcased staged readings of short plays written by community members and performed by professional actors.
Runtime: 1 Hour 54, Minutes • Release: 2019
Stories from English Language Learners spotlights firsthand accounts of profound resilience and personal triumph within Chicago’s immigrant and refugee communities. The project emerged from the EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course) program we tailored for adult English Language Learners. We center the voices of diverse individuals grappling with the complex realities of immigration, identity, and material survival. Enjoy these intimate tales of heartache, sacrifice, renewal, and success.
Runtime: 30 Minutes, 57 Seconds • Release: 2021
West Ridge Story Festival: New American Voices consists of six riveting plays crafted by students and adult English Language Learners. By participating in our EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course) program, these courageous individuals turned their lived experiences into dramatic narratives. You will hear authentic stories that explore what it means to build a life that transcends borders and expands boundaries. These narratives go beyond the surface, offering a complex and candid view of the immigrant experience.
Runtime: 36 Minutes, 4 Seconds • Release: 2022
Overview
West Ridge Story Festival featured original short plays and monologues written by the people who call this uniquely diverse Chicago neighborhood home. This effort was born from a simple, powerful idea shared by community leaders: in order to build greater understanding and connection between neighbors, we must first share our stories.
In response, we brought our Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course (EPIC) directly into community spaces. We worked alongside residents, empowering them to transform their personal experiences into compelling theatre. The result was a celebration of the many voices that define West Ridge, a vibrant tapestry of narratives reflecting the ethnic, racial, religious, linguistic, and economic diversity of this community.
This festival was an invitation to connect, to share, and to see our city through the eyes of our neighbors. We invite you to discover the compelling narratives that arose from West Ridge’s 3.5 square miles on Chicago’s far north side.
Screening History
- May 11, 2022 | Asian Human Services, Chicago, Illinois
- May 17, 2023 | Asian Human Services, Chicago, Illinois
Creative Team
Written by
- Jamil Khoury
Directed by
- A. George Bajalia
Executive Producers
- Malik Gillani
- Jamil Khoury
Director of Photography
- Drew Pientka
Editor, Script Supervisor and Assistant Director
- Deann Baker
Set Design
- Dan Stratton
Costume Designer and Props Master
- Kelsey C. Melvin
Original Compositions
- Peter J. Storms
Production Manager
- Corey Pond
Dramaturg
- Neal Ryan Shaw
Location Sound Mixer
- Dustin Barta
Post-Production Sound
- Nate Green
Assistant Camera and Grip
- Travis Legge
Gaffer
- Nicki Beck
Make Up and Hair
- Neva Stroud
Script Development Support provided by
- Madrid St. Angelo
- A. George Bajalia
- Gordon Chow
- Nora Fiffer
- Malik Gillani
- Virginia Lee Marie Martinez
- Neal Ryan Shaw
Cast
- Gordon Chow as MULTICULTURALISM
- Virginia Lee Marie Martinez as POLYCULTURALISM
Essays & Commentary
Special Thanks
- About Face Theatre
- Eric Branholm
- The Field Foundation of Illinois
- The First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple
- Elizabeth Gingerich
- Hannoun Rugs from Morocco
- Elise Hausken
- Becky Klein
- Jeanette Kleymeyer
- Claire Melvin
- Allison Schuette
- The Siragusa Family Foundation
- Writers Theatre
- Valparaiso University, Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2014 Planning Committee
- Elizabeth Wuerffel
- Roger Wykes