The West Ridge Story Festival occurred at 3 locations between December 14 – 17, 2019. This screening was filmed at Indian Boundary Park in Chicago, Illinois on December 16, 2019.
Runtime: 1 Hour 54, Minutes • Release: 2019
Stories from English Language Learners features tales of triumph, heartache, sacrifice, and growth: the threat of having to uproot your life amidst dire financial circumstances; the fear and wonder of stepping out on your own; the pressures to choose career over family; the journey toward discovering what you believe is right; the enduring struggle for citizenship; and above all, the joys of accomplishing your goals.
Runtime: 30 Minutes, 57 Seconds • Release: 2021
West Ridge Story Festival: New American Voices features six plays written by students who participated in Silk Road Cultural Center’s EPIC for English Language Learners Class Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course 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.
Runtime: 36 Minutes, 4 Seconds • Release: 2022
Overview
West Ridge Story Festival features original plays written by residents of the ethnically, racially, religiously, linguistically, and economically diverse Chicago neighborhood of West Ridge. We invite you to visit the community and discover the narratives of those who call these 3.5 square miles on the city’s far north side their home.
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