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35th Season · 2026

The Art of Belonging

Combining Bienvenido Santos stories with films of Nicholas Viernes

Location
Rizal Center, 1332 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago IL 60613
Dates
February 11–21, 2026
The Art of Belonging poster. February 11–21, 2026 at the Rizal Center, Chicago.

Performances

    • 7:00 PM
    • 7:00 PM
    • 7:00 PM
    • 2:00 PM
    • 7:00 PM
    • 2:00 PM
    • 7:00 PM
    • 2:00 PM
    • 7:00 PM

About the show

THE ART OF BELONGING is an evocative adaptation of three short stories by acclaimed Filipino American writer Bienvenido Santos, reimagined for the stage by CIRCA Pintig’s own Larry Leopoldo. The production is interwoven with rare home films from the Estrella Alamar Collection, featuring migrant Filipino families in the Midwest from the 1950s through the 1970s; bringing memory, migration, and identity into vivid dialogue.

This project is fiscally sponsored by an Illinois Humanities Grant, supporting CIRCA Pintig’s mission to preserve and uplift Filipino American history and storytelling in the Midwest.

Cast

Ensemble
Rich Adrian Lazatin, Mari Joy, Mikael Silan, Daphne Nitsuga, Arvin Jalandoon

Credits

Director
RJ Silva
Playwright
Nate Cozens
Stage Manager
Alishiana Uyao
Production Designers
Noel Henry, Mikael Silan, Larry Leopoldo

Production sponsors

  • FAHNS
  • FAHSC
  • Illinois Humanities
  • Rizal Center
  • National Film Preservation Foundation

What people are saying

“Nostalgic, gut-wrenching, beautiful.”
Audience member, The Art of Belonging

Production photos

The Art of Belonging production photo.
Photo by RJ Silva
Second The Art of Belonging production photo.
Photo by CIRCA Pintig
Third The Art of Belonging production photo.
Photo by CIRCA Pintig