As Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) approaches its 30th anniversary, the company announces a leadership transition that reflects both the strength of the organization today and its vision for the future.
This summer, Miguel Angel Rodriguez steps into the role of Executive Artistic Director, becoming the organization’s sole chief executive after five years of shared leadership with APTP Co-Founder David Feiner.
At the same time, David Feiner will transition into a newly created full-time role as Founder & Director of Innovation & Advancement, where he will focus on long-term organizational strategy, fundraising, and the development of ambitious new artistic initiatives that expand how APTP tells the stories of immigrant communities.
Longtime staff member Trina McGee will also assume a new leadership role as Managing Director, overseeing operations, finance, production, and organizational systems. The expanded leadership team also includes Maggie Popadiak, Associate Director & Director of School-Based Programs, and Anthony Vasquez, Director of Development.
For nearly three decades, David Feiner has played a central role in shaping APTP’s artistic vision, youth development model, and national reputation for transformational, ensemble-created theater. Under his stewardship, APTP evolved from a small program into one of Chicago’s most distinctive theater companies, known for productions that explore immigration, inequality, identity, education, and belonging — and, most recently, for the large-scale immersive experiences Learning Curve and Port of Entry that made Albany Park an improbable destination for adventurous audiences from across the country.
At the same time, a remarkable generation of leaders who grew up within the organization have increasingly shaped APTP’s future.
Miguel Angel Rodriguez first joined APTP in 1999 as a teenager growing up in Albany Park. Over the past 25 years — as a youth ensemble member, artist, educator, mentor, and director — Rodriguez has become one of the company’s defining voices. Since becoming Co-Executive Director alongside Feiner in 2021, he has helped guide APTP through a period of significant growth and artistic expansion, including the opening and multi-year run of Port of Entry, the company’s critically acclaimed immersive collaboration with Third Rail Projects, and the continued growth of APTP@School, which now engages 1,000 Chicago Public Schools students annually in Albany Park.
Trina McGee has become an indispensable APTP leader since joining the team in 2016 as Production Manager for Learning Curve. Trina managed APTP’s most ambitious design and production project ever: the gut rehab and build out that transformed a vacant warehouse into the 12,000 square foot immersive world that houses Port of Entry. Her operational knowledge, strategic thinking, and steady leadership were especially evident during Feiner’s recent sabbatical, when she assumed responsibility for many aspects of the organization’s day-to-day management.
“When I sit in our theater, I can still see echoes of 14-year-old Miguel,” said Rodriguez. “I have vivid memories of moments at APTP that shaped my vision for the adult I wanted to become and the just and joyful world I wanted to help build. This transition builds on everything that three decades of APTP teens and adults have created together. I’m honored and energized to work with this incredible team as we lead APTP into its next chapter — and, most importantly, as we continue creating spaces where young people can imagine their futures and the way they want to shape the world.”
“APTP has been a home to me for nearly my entire adult life — and that will continue with this transition,” added Feiner. “After nearly three decades steeped in the company’s day-to-day operations, I’m excited and grateful that I can now focus all my energy on the areas where I can contribute most at this stage: innovation, long-term strategy, fundraising, and supporting the extraordinary leaders carrying APTP forward. In Miguel and Maggie, APTP now boasts two leaders who were ensemble members during our earliest formative years. It is especially meaningful that both worked closely with our late co-founder Laura Wiley, whose vision continues to shape this community every day.”
President of the APTP Board of Directors, Reena Bajowala, shared that the new appointments reflect years of intentional leadership development: “This transition embodies the values APTP has championed for nearly 30 years. We believe in investing in young people, nurturing leadership, and creating pathways for people to grow into their fullest potential. Miguel and Maggie first came to APTP as teenagers. Today, they are leading the organization into its next era. At the same time, David’s transition into a new role ensures that APTP continues to benefit from the vision, creativity, and relationships he has cultivated over nearly three decades.”
The transition comes at a moment of continued momentum for the company. This summer, Rodriguez and Popadiak co-direct The American Project, a new ensemble-devised work exploring how people take it upon themselves to write the next chapter of the American story. In the fall, Port of Entry will return for its eighth season after more than 200 sold-out performances. In 2027, APTP will mark its 30th anniversary with a large-scale immersive performance that turns Albany Park itself into a stage, with community members of all ages sharing personal stories that explore what it means to call this neighborhood their home.
As the company enters its fourth decade, APTP remains deeply committed to creating theater that amplifies immigrant voices, invests in young people as artists and leaders, and builds spaces for connection, empathy, and collective imagination.