Chicago's Destinos International Theater Festival brings Latino stories, artistry to forefront

Performances are being held across the city in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Destinos: 9th annual Chicago International Theater Festival is hosting multiple productions that aim to lift Latino stories and artists.

"I think theater just shines a light into what matters and who we are," said Diana Guizado.

Guizado is a member of Glass Half Full Theater based in Austin, Texas.

In the production "Yamel Cucuy," Guizado plays Yamel — a 13-year-old immigrant girl from Mexico.

"She lives on the border with her tía and her brother and she's being hunted by ICE agents, but also by supernatural creatures of Mexican folklore like Las Lloronas, La Lechuza, El Chupacabra."

"Yamel Cucuy" is just one of the productions playing throughout the city.

Guizado says stories like "Yamel Cucuy" exemplify the power of live theater to illustrate real-world issues in unique ways and build bridges between people.

"I think the more we connect to who's being hurt and who we are deep inside, then we can find ways to actually support each other and make life better for everyone," she said.

"Destinos is a celebration of our culture, of who we are, our people," said Jorge Valdivia.

Valdivia is the executive director of the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance, or CLATA, which organizes Destinos.

"Everything from Mexican stories to Puerto Rican, celebrating the Puerto Rican diaspora. We've got Venezuelan artists. We've got a Peruvian artist. There's a little bit of everything," he said.

The festival features 14 different productions across 11 venues across Chicago. 

Valdivia says the current climate around immigration impacted last year's festival.

"We know firsthand of people who dropped out of the festival because they were simply too afraid to perform. This is regardless of their citizenship status."

This year, he says he hopes the event focuses on celebration and CLATA's mission of advocating for and raising the visibility of Latino theater artists.

"I hope that a younger version of myself or anyone out there sees them, can see themselves reflected in stories of people who look like them, people who sound like them."

Performers like Guizado echo that spirit.

"There's so much joy and beauty in coming together and telling our stories. It's really special," she said.

The festival runs through Oct. 11. More information about the festival, including the location of each production, can be found here.