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Teatro Americano

Teatro Americano provides opportunities for local youth to think and act in creative ways that counter negative stereotypes of Latino youth and communities. Teatro Americano performs stories that express our community’s worries, ambitions, and successes.

  • Walk-in Hours

    No appointment necessary
    Tuesday: 9:00am - 3:00pm
    Wednesday: 9:00am - 3:00pm
    Thursday: 9:00am - 3:00pm
    Saturday: 9:00am - 1:00pm

    Our office is closed Friday, Sunday & Monday.

  • Our Location


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Teatro Americano (TA) is Latino Progresando‘s own theater company. TA uses the stories of youth, their parents, grandparents, and neighbors to guide its productions, so that they celebrate or question what’s happening in immigrant communities in Chicago.

TA both performs existent scripts and writes its own scripts, always with the goal of spotlighting stories that need to be given voice. TA’s theater shows and workshops are managed by our community’s youth and based in our community’s shared experiences.

If you or your organization is interested in coordinating a workshop or performance with TA, please contact the Director of Artistic Programming and Outreach, Cecilie Keenan: cecilie@latinospro.org.

 

Performance

Teatro Americano creates and tours an original program every year.

TA performs stories that counter negative stereotypes of youth and Mexican culture for groups across Chicago and even North America. When people see nuanced performances about Mexican parents, teenagers, or grandparents, their concept of what it means to be Mexican grows and broadens. This helps other communities better understand Mexican Americans, and it helps Mexicans explore their complex, diverse identities.


Outreach

Teatro Americano uses theater as a way to help grandparents, parents, teenagers, and kids better understand each other.

TA performs stories that counter negative stereotypes of youth and Mexican culture for groups across Chicago and even North America. When people see nuanced performances about Mexican parents, teenagers, or grandparents, their concept of what it means to be Mexican grows and broadens. This helps other communities better understand Mexican Americans, and it helps Mexicans explore their complex, diverse identities.

TA organizes after-school programs in Chicago organizations and Chicago Public Schools that teach acting techniques to hundreds of low-income students. TA has taught theater workshops and educational programs at Benito Juarez High School, Eli Whitney Elementary School, Castellanos Elementary School, Francisco I. Madero School, and Telpochcalli Elementary School.

For high school students, TA offers an intensive summer session, during which students are exposed to the inner-workings of theater, through workshops that include writing, movement, voice, acting, improvisation, visual art, and play. Teens visit local professional theater companies to view productions and to understand the behind-the-scenes work. Through these experiences, students ultimately create their very own full-length production.

For grammar school and middle school students, TA teaches introductory theater composition and acting . The program is free and open to all, and it focuses on cultivating students’ self-expression.

Teatro Americano leads open workshops at community events, organizations, and schools, addressing issues like resilience, parenting, and Latino history.