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Juan Francisco Villa's EMPANADA FOR A DREAM Extends Through 3/23

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16th Street Theater and Teatro Vista announce the extension of their Jeff-Recommended Empanada for a Dream written and performed by Juan Francisco Villa and directed by Alex Levy thru Saturday, March 23 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn. Empanada for a Dream is the second show in 16th Street's Season Six 2013: The American Dream.

Downtown on Allen Street everybody's blasting music - bachata, merengue and salsa. Everybody's cooking - plantains, paella, and empanadas. Boys play baseball and football on the street while the most beautiful girl watches from a window. In his living memoir Juan Francisco Villa uncovers the treasures of his family's dark legacy in the streets of New York.

After a sold-out run with Ballybeg at the Barrow Group Theatre, Empanada for a Dream performed in Chicago in 2012 as part of the Yo Solo Theatre Festival before playing at Los Angeles Theatre Center. A haunting love song to the Lower East Side, Juan's return to his childhood neighborhood is a dangerous and hilarious tale about growing up by getting out and coming back home.

Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Lead Performer in a Musical - Top 3
1. LJ Benet - The Lost Boys, A New Musical
21.9% of votes
2. Joshua Henry - Ragtime
15.9% of votes
3. Sam Tutty - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
10.1% of votes

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