West Ridge Story Festival: New American Voices
Since 2019, Silk Road Rising has been working in the West Ridge neighborhood on Chicago's far north side to foster a greater sense of social cohesion. West Ridge is one of the most ethnically, racially, religiously, linguistically, and economically diverse communities in the United States, a true microcosm of the 21st-century American mosaic. Silk Road Rising’s work in this neighborhood brings to light the experiences of immigrant and refugee communities and provides a platform for their voices to be heard.
In December of 2019, we produced the inaugural West Ridge Story Festival; staged readings of plays written by community members who participated in our Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course (EPIC) classes. Once the pandemic hit, our work with our community partners had to move online. Working with Asian Human Services, we created last year's Stories from English Language Learners. Shortly thereafter, Silk Road Rising released The COVID Monologues, culled from the West Ridge neighborhood and beyond. Now we are thrilled to be working again with Asian Human Services to bring you West Ridge Story Festival: New American Voices.
New American Voices (36 min, 4 sec) features six plays written by students who participated in Silk Road Rising’s EPIC for English Language Learners Class at Asian Human Services and EPIC at Passages Charter School. These tales explore the lives of new Americans as they navigate cultural differences and community expectations.
These virtual staged readings are directed by Lexi Saunders, written by Bibi Zainab Binti Nurul Hakim, Madina Mustafina, Fowsia Nur, Sofi Escutia Ramirez, Meram Thahr, and Renee Twum, and feature Zhanna Albertini, Adia Alli, Allison Grischow, Juan Gonzalez Machain, and Victor Mallari with special appearances by Bri Buckley and Alexis Tornez. The video is available for free to watch at anytime on YouTube.