As ICE escalates its presence in Chicago, Port of Entry remains a love letter to the immigrant community. Read an excerpt of an article from WBEZ below.
WBEZ // Mike Davis and Amber Colón: In Albany Park, the creatives behind “Port of Entry” decided to remount the fully immersive play designed to put audiences into the lives, and homes, of immigrants.
“Port of Entry” portrays the stories of youth in Albany Park, many of whom are in the show. With federal agents currently in the city, safety has become a concern, but Rodriguez said the youth haven’t been deterred.
“The youth wanted to perform it, and the audience who came felt it resonated with them. And yes, it’s even more emotional now, because it feels like we’re bringing what’s happening outside, inside, into the theater space… The show is not just about the hardships of the immigrant community,” said Rodriguez. “There’s a lot of celebration, and a lot of emphasis on community. These people who are from different cultures, who may have seemingly different lives, actually share a lot in common.”
Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Albany Park Theater Project co-executive director and Port of Entry director, runs through a rehearsal with his cast on the set of the remount of Port of Entry at Albany Park Theater Company in 2024. The theater is remounting the show for a seventh time this month with a fresh cast. | Manuel Martinez/WBEZ
Even with another sold out season on the horizon, and youth eager to perform, Rodriguez is well aware of the potential danger in staging a show about immigrants while federal agents are patrolling the city and the neighborhood around them.
“We unfortunately are operating with a little bit of fear, as we continue to be the prominent immigrant community theater company in Chicago, let alone in our neighborhood,” he said. “There’s a little bit of fear that we are almost putting ourselves out there in a way that federal agents could be knocking on our door any day now.”
The company has worked extensively to create precautions and protocols to ensure that in the event federal agents do show up, they have a response system in place.
“The youth keep on showing up,” he said. “They keep on showing up, and this has always been, and continues to be, a safe space for them outside of their homes and even their schools. And there’s something about that that is empowering and kind of assuages the fear that I may have in my own personal life.”