THE ART OF BELONGING To Be Presented By Circa Pintig At The Rizal Center
Multidisciplinary project features staged readings and archival home movies.
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 09, 2026
CIRCA Pintig will present THE ART OF BELONGING, a multidisciplinary theater and film project examining Filipino immigrant life in the Midwest, as part of League of Chicago Theatres Theatre Week. Performances take place this February at the Rizal Center.
The project pairs three short staged readings adapted from the writings of Bienvenido Santos with newly digitized 16mm home movies shot by Filipino American documentarian Nicholas Viernes. Together, the works present a portrait of Filipino American community life across generations, drawing connections between literary adaptation and moving-image archives.
THE ART OF BELONGING launched on January 31 at the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago Museum at Mana Contemporary and now continues with its Theatre Week run at the Rizal Center. The staged readings adapt Santos’ short stories Scent of Apples, The Day the Dancers Came, and Immigration Blues, originally mounted by Pintig in 2005. The stories depict Filipino immigrants navigating life in the United States from the 1940s through the 1960s.
The accompanying films, preserved by the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago, document Filipino American life from the 1930s through the 1970s, including family gatherings, farm labor, and community events. The materials were digitized through the work of cultural historian Estrella Alamar and archivist Ashley Dequilla. Film historian Nick Deocampo has identified Viernes as the earliest Filipino documentarian in cinema history.
The program runs approximately 60 minutes, with post-performance talkbacks offered after each presentation.
Performance Schedule
Wednesday–Friday, February 11–13 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Ticketing Information
Performances take place at the Rizal Center, 1332 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago.
Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 for students and seniors, and $10 for Theatre Week Hot Tix. Pay-What-You-Can options are available. $10 Theatre Week tickets may be purchased through HotTix.org.
THE ART OF BELONGING is supported in part by Illinois Humanities, Crossroads Fund, Asian Giving Circle, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and IFF Chicago.
Videos