In the northwestern Chicago neighborhood of Albany Park, the opening scene of the show Port of Entry transcends time to convey the long history of immigrants making their homes in the community. Alone or in small groups, with luggage in tow, they enter an unfamiliar apartment building for the first time, pausing on the threshold with pensive, nervous, or hopeful looks in their eyes. These aren’t real apartments, of course, but a remarkable simulation created for a world-premiere immersive production by Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) and Third Rail Projects. This 1929 three-story warehouse still bears the sign “Fernstrom Fireproof Storage” on its façade, but the interior has been transformed into a virtual courtyard-style apartment complex, a portrait of a home for new Chicagoans looking for a new life.
In Port of Entry, 26 young performers portray immigrants from around the world who live in Albany Park, one of Chicago’s most diverse communities. At each performance, the cast guides 28 audience members through custom-built homes, inviting them to handle treasured objects, play games, and even eat and drink together as they share their characters’ stories.
“One of the defining elements of Albany Park since the 1970s or ‘80s has been that it’s a place where people from all different parts of the world live side-by-side in the same building,” said David Feiner, APTP co-executive director and Port of Entry co-director and producer. “[Because of] the changing courses of history, globalization, and the conflicts in Asia and in Latin America that displaced people, folks who never would have crossed paths are now next-door neighbors.”
Feiner described Port of Entry as APTP’s most ambitious production to date. Their previous collaboration with Third Rail Projects—a New York-based company that produces site-specific, experiential performances—resulted in Learning Curve, an immersive production that provided an inside look at the daily lives of students in Chicago Public Schools. Learning Curve was named one of the Chicago Tribune’s top 10 shows of 2016 alongside works from the likes of the Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Victory Gardens. Port of Entry was developed from extensive interviews with local residents, with some scenes inspired by the families of ensemble members. Feiner is one of a team of nine co-directors on the project, along with Roxanne Kidd, Marissa Nielsen-Pincus, Steph Paul, Maggie Popadiak, Devika Ranjan, Edward Rice, Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Jennine Willett.
When I saw the first preview performance in mid-July, I was struck by the intricate craftsmanship of the physical spaces. Despite the occasional whiff of fresh paint and the last-minute adjustments in progress, the apartments look like real homes in Chicago—complete with radiators, bricked-over fireplaces, and kitchen doors that lead to tiny stairwell porches.
Moreover, each space feels like a unique home inhabited by an actual family, due to the quality work of the production team, including Scott Neale (scenic), Ellie Terrell (props and immersive aesthetics), Elizabeth Mak (lighting and projections), Nicole Lang (associate lighting design), Izumi Inaba (costumes), and Trina McGee (director of production). Similar to the development process for the script, the designs were inspired by visits to ensemble members’ homes.
“The bulk of our research came from one afternoon of walking tours in the kids’ apartments,” Neale said. “We identified what culture they’re part of; they told their stories about how they have lived and where they live now. We took pictures and videos, and then we just had this giant archive of these worlds, which is essentially what this entire thing is about—their lives.”
One memorable example is the apartment of a Mexican American family who invites audience members to play Lotería, a traditional Mexican game similar to bingo. The bright lighting, warm colors, positive affirmations on the walls, and family photos and books lining the shelves create a palpably welcoming atmosphere. This cheerful scene is eventually interrupted by a phone call that throws the family into chaos. I won’t spoil the plot, but the work of sound designer and composer Mikhail Fiksel (who won a Tony Award for Dana H. in 2022) and associate sound designer Noel Nichols is chillingly effective here.
Of course, it’s the actors who bring these homes to life, and this young cast does so with empathy and poise. At each performance, the audience is divided into small groups that move through the building together, visiting four main homes as well as smaller scenes within each of them, resulting in a different experience for each attendee. Actors must not only time their performances precisely to keep all the moving parts in sync, but they also are constantly engaging with audience members, sometimes one-on-one, without the comfort of a fourth wall.
Cast member Ari Salgado, who is Mexican American, said that working on Port of Entry has been “a healing process.” “A person’s story is the story of 1,000 other people, especially when it comes to being a minority,” said Salgado. Being part of a scene about fears that are relatable for many immigrants, it feels “like I’m doing something for my family.”
First-generation Filipino American Beatriz Gigante also feels a deep connection with their character, whose story is based on the family of another ensemble member. “Every time that I do my scene,” Gigante said, “it’s very hard not to cry because it reminds me of my parents and them trying to navigate their life when they first arrived here in America.”
All five cast members I spoke with—Salgado, Gigante, Lesly Aguirre, Maidenwena Alba, and Sara Romero—strongly believe that the arts, and especially immersive shows like Port of Entry, have great potential to spread awareness about social issues. It’s clear that there’s an appetite for this type of work; the first block of tickets, for dates through Aug. 12, sold out within days. Performances in October through December will go on sale at a later date, and the goal is for the run to be open-ended, with more performances in 2024 to be announced.
“Art makes education accessible,” said Salgado. “Maybe you can’t sit down and read a book about the issue, but maybe you can sit down for two hours and participate in a show.”
Emily McClanathan (she/her) is a Chicago-based writer whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, Playbill, TheaterMania, Theatrely, and more. She is a 2020 National Critics Institute Fellow.
