Filipino Community Events in Glenview, IL

Artists from the regional Filipino theater company, CIRCA Pintig, will give readings and provide discussion about dramatic pieces. Unheard Voices of Care Lecture Series: Reliving Our Stories July 17, 2026 6:00-8:00pm Doors at 5:45pm Free and open to the public About the Lecture: The regional Filipino theater company, CIRCA Pintig, will be collecting and developing stories from current and retired nurses to create a series of monologues and short plays. The ongoing project will feature company members enacting selected stories for an evening of live performance. CIRCA-Pintig's roots trace back to the early 1980s when its founders, newly arrived from the Philippines, found support and inspiration in the immigrant communities of Chicago. Born from the experiences of political refugees and economic migrants, the organization embodies the resilience, creativity, and communal spirit of immigrant communities. The name "Pintig," meaning "heartbeat" or "pulse" in Filipino, reflects our commitment to keeping the vibrant pulse of immigrant cultures alive and strong in America's multicultural landscape. For over three decades, CIRCA-Pintig has been dedicated to empowering immigrant communities, honoring their founders' experiences, and paying forward the gifts of life and love that sustained them in their early years. Giovanni Ortega (Dramatist Guild, SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA) has been working professionally for over a decade as a proponent of the performing arts as a multidisciplinary artist and educator. Playwright credits: The Butterfly of Chula Vista (San Diego Rep commission); Sama Sama: Solidarity in the Fields, Criers for Hire and Allos – the Story of Carlos Bulosan (East West Players commissioned production). Criers for Hire has been performed in Chicago, Sydney and San Francisco. ALLOS has toured Chicago, Honolulu, Austria, Uganda (Kampala Theatre Festival), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco and Singapore. Director credits include: Nicky, a modernized adaptation of Chekhov’s Ivanov, We Are Nothing Without Hantu Hantu (Hollywood Fringe) Halo Halo (Third Culture Theatre), Angel from Manila (Echo Theater), Lena Passes (Pasadena Playhouse) Scrimmage (East West Players), The Hotel Play (A.D., Center Theatre Group/ Playwrights’ Arena), La Madre de Todos los Exilios (La Casa Tercer Acto, Bogotá), Cabaret, Spring Awakening – The Musical, Urinetown. In Singapore, Giovanni directed The Body Series, Evolution, Kabaret Singapura and worked with Poetry Festival Singapore to create Benches and Palindromes (Theatre) followed by Belonging, Atlas and Nomads (Films). As a performer, he starred in San-San Onglatco’s film Zenaida (AFI Film Festival )and Dreams, A Musical at the Hawaii Theater. Additional credits: President Marcos in Imelda, The Musical (East West Players), Romance of Magno Rubio (Inside the Ford – LA Weekly award nomination), Dogeaters, The Refugee Hotel (Center Theatre Group) and Conjunto. R.J. Silva is a writer and creative producer. Born and raised in Manila, he moved to America at 13 years old and has lived in Phoenix, Orlando, and Chicago. Starting with CIRCA Pintig in 2013 during his years at Loyola University Chicago, he graduated with a BA in Theatre and worked in the themed entertainment industry as a producer for Walt Disney Imagineering. Now back in Chicago, he is the producing associate for CIRCA Pintig, assisting in planning and productions, and has performed for CIRCA Pintig in ‘ALLOS: The Story of Carlos Bulosan’ and ‘Daryo’s All-American Diner.’ Outside of CIRCA Pintig, RJ is a co-founder and producer of The Ampliverse, a multimedia channel that celebrates pop culture without the toxicity of exclusivity through podcasts and writing. RJ is also a writer for the screen and stage. This project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The International Museum of Surgical Science acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Based in Glenview, IL, GABRIELA USA represents a vital connection between Filipino women's liberation movements in the Philippines and progressive communities across the United States. As an overseas chapter of GABRIELA Philippines—a coalition that has grown from 42 founding organizations in 1984 to over 250 member organizations today—GABRIELA USA carries forward a legacy of resistance, courage, and collective action. The organization was established during the transformative anti-dictatorship struggles of the Marcos era, when Filipino women from all walks of life came together to fight for fundamental freedoms and systemic change. Named in honor of Gabriela Silang, a historical figure who challenged colonial oppression centuries ago, the organization embodies the principle that women's liberation is inseparable from the liberation of all oppressed peoples. GABRIELA USA operates from a conviction that freedom for women requires addressing foreign domination, landlessness, political repression, and patriarchal structures that pervade society. The organization believes in the power of grassroots mobilization, cultural expression, and consciousness-raising to transform communities. By maintaining deep connections with Filipino diaspora communities while engaging in broader American social movements, GABRIELA USA bridges international struggles and local activism. Members participate in cultural events, educational forums, and coordinated campaigns that uplift Filipino women's voices and experiences. The organization's commitment to intersectional justice—recognizing how women's oppression connects to economic exploitation, imperialism, and systemic inequality—guides all its work in serving the Glenview, IL area and beyond.