"Mexodus" at Chicago's Studebaker Theater tells story of enslaved Africans escaping to Mexico

A new musical playing at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago sheds light on a little-known part of American history.

"Mexodus" tells the story of enslaved Africans who escaped not by migrating north but by heading south across the border. Thousands of African Americans escaped slavery by crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico.

The two-man show follows a fictional character named Henry, a Black man who flees Texas seeking freedom and is helped by Carlos, a Mexican farmer, while crossing the Rio Grande.

Creators and performers Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson sat down with CBS News Chicago Friday morning to discuss their show, how they perform the "live-looping" music on stage, and what they hope audiences take away from their work.

"Mexodus" is on stage at the Studebaker Theater now through Nov. 21, 2026.