This play contains sexual assault and murder (by knife), as well as topics of xenophobia, homophobia, and incest.

The entire company of A View From the Bridge is fully vaccinated according to AEA Regulations.

Masks are no longer required at most performances, however masks are encouraged due to the intimacy of the space.

Masks are mandatory for select performances for the accessibility of our immunocompromised friends and anyone who prefers to be more cautious: Sunday 9/17, Thursday 10/5, and Sunday 10/15.

The bar is open at Theater Wit and drinks will be allowed in the theatre. Please note that even at our special masked performances, the Theatre Wit Lobby will remain mask-optional as that is outside of our purview.

If you are sick, please call our box office for a complimentary ticket exchange with at least 5 hours notice.

Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with mobility needs are invited to purchase access tickets with the code “ACCESS20” at Theater Wit’s checkout page.

Audio Description and Touch Tour Date is Friday, October 6. The Touch Tour begins at 6:45 pm, and the show will be at 8:00.

Open Captions will be provided for our evening performance of A View From the Bridge on Saturday, October 14 at 8:00 PM. Use the code “ACCESS20” for $20 tickets if you plan to take advantage of these accessibility offerings. Please email the box office at boxoffice@theraterwit.org to request seating with a view of our open caption screen!

Assisted Listening Devices are available for all performances.

Use the code “ACCESS20” for $20 tickets if you plan to take advantage of these accessibility offerings!

Please call our office 773-770-0333 or email groupsales@shatteredglobe.org if you are part of a group that would like to request Audio Description for any other performance dates.

Shattered Globe understands that ticket prices can pose a financial burden and, at times, an obstacle for theatregoers.

A number of free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis for students and community members experiencing access barriers to theatre during the month of September.

We can additionally offer sliding-scale ($5-15) for requests made for any performances from opening (9/12) through closing (10/21).

If you would like to be considered to SGT’s Waived Ticket Program or sliding-scale tickets, please email edurbin@shatteredglobe.org with the subject: WAIVED TICKET REQUEST.

Please note: all requests must be completed by 12 pm the Friday before the performance you would like to attend. This email will not be monitored on weekends or after 5 pm on weekdays.

Sunday, September 17 – Post-Show Discussion

There will be a short post show conversation with the Louis Contey (Director) and Jazzma Pryor (SGT Ensemble Member) after the matinee performance of A View From the Bridge.

Sunday, September 24 – Post-Show Discussion

There will be a short post show conversation with Louis Contey (Director) and Eileen Niccolai (Beatrice) after the matinee performance of A View From the Bridge.

Sunday, October 1 – Post-Show Discussion

There will be a short post show conversation with the SGT staff and ensemble after the matinee performance of A View From the Bridge.

Friday, October 6 – Audio Description and Touch Tour

The Touch Tour begins at 6:45 pm, and the show will be at 8:00. Use the code “ACCESS20” for $20 tickets if you plan to take advantage of these accessibility offerings!

Sunday, October 8 – Post-Show Discussion

There will be a short post show conversation with Lisa Palumbo (Director of Immigrants and Workers’ Rights Practice Group at Legal Aid Chicago) and Mark Kocol (Chicago Immigration Attorney) after the matinee performance of A View From the Bridge.

Saturday, October 14 at 8:00 pm – Open Captioning

Open Captions will be provided for our evening performance of A View From the Bridge. Use the code “ACCESS20” for $20 tickets if you plan to take advantage of these accessibility offerings. Please email the box office at boxoffice@theraterwit.org to request seating with a view of our open caption screen!

Sunday, October 15 – Post-Show Discussion

There will be a short post show conversation with the SGT staff and ensemble after the matinee performance of A View From the Bridge.

Read the show program with cast and crew bios!

A View From the Bridge from a Chicago Lawyer’s perspective

On Sunday, October 8, 2023, Shattered Globe Theatre hosted a Post-Show Conversation with local Immigration Lawyers, Lisa Palumbo and Mark Kocol.

Can you define some terms for us? What are the differences between migrants, refugees, and immigrants?

Lisa Palumbo: The term “migrants” has been used relatively recently to describe new arrivals at the border. But it is often used to describe the country’s farmworker population. “Migrant farmworkers”, are those who travel from South Texas up north to one or various states during the summer months, to do farm work, and then return south.

Migrant is also often used to describe the difference between a refugee (someone fleeing persecution) and an “economic migrant”, someone who is not leaving because of a fear of persecution. So, it’s used many ways.

Mark Kocol: “Refugees” are those fleeing violence establishing the country of nationality is “unable or unwilling” to protect constituents; or those fleeing conscription, etc.

Lisa: “Immigrant” is someone who is not a citizen. A non-immigrant is someone who comes to the US for a temporary period, like a tourist or student. An immigrant, in legal terms, is someone who is not a citizen but has lawful permanent status in the U.S., like what we call permanent residency.

What language do you prefer to use to refer to immigrants in the US illegally?

Lisa: The general term for those present in the U.S. without lawful status is “undocumented”.

Mark: I use “foreign national” – I don’t know why; I assume that I “read” it in my mind long ago (rather than alien) when I was just starting to work for Bill Lasko in 1993. Alien was probably historically used without much attention paid – sensitivities to language used by Congress has evolved.

Lisa: The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) uses “alien”, “immigrant”, “non-immigrant”.  We use non-citizen; lately, new arrivals, asylum seeker.

Most of those arriving at the border now are “permitted” to come into the U.S., and are going to have hearings before immigration judges, so they are documented as they come in, and are permitted to remain while they pursue asylum. These folks may also be referred to as asylum applicants.

Others who enter lawfully and overstay, or those who enter and do not present themselves to border authorities, would generally be referred to as a visa overstay or undocumented.

What does it mean for Chicago to be a Sanctuary City?

Lisa: A “Sanctuary City” is a city where the local city authorities do not contact ICE when they encounter an undocumented individual, in most cases. So, if a non-citizen is driving without a license and gets stopped, she may be cited with a ticket, but the police would not call or bring this individual to ICE if they believe she may be undocumented.

Chicago is also a Welcoming City. Similarly, the Welcoming City ordinance means you will not be asked your status. It makes undocumented immigrants eligible for city services with a guarantee that the local government will not contact ICE about their status.

A View From the Bridge is considered a classic, but many of our immigration laws today remain the same. Can you tell us about what is outdated in our legal system, and what new laws have come about that are making a difference?

Mark: The last real changes to the law INA (Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952) were nearly 30 years ago with the IIRIRA that was passed with that 9/30/1996 spending deal. Because of this, all our laws operate in a pre-Internet/cellphone/social media era.

In practice, there are also major delays plaguing the “broken” system of immigration in our country. There are some new methods DHS/ICE/Justices have used to try to eliminate backlogs that go on in the court rooms.

Can you tell us a little bit about why immigrants are coming to Chicago in record numbers? What kind of responsibility does US foreign policy, economic affairs, and environmental output, have in all this?

Lisa: There are several reasons, often referred to as “push” and “pull” factors.  First, political repression and turmoil. Specifically, Venezuela and Nicaragua are examples of this. Some have fled due to fear of persecution. Others have been unable to subsist even when working, to be able to feed their families. Some come because their families have come before them and are now trying to reunite. Others come because they believe they will be let into the US, can work, and will not be deported or kept from entering.

What kinds of conditions are people leaving, compared to what they face when they arrive in the city?

Lisa: All those issues have some connection to migration.  While we see people sleeping outside police stations and think, that can’t be better than where they left, it often is. People are willing to take the risk that things will improve once they start working and settle down.  An article in today’s NYT addresses mayor Eric Adams heading to South America, essentially trying to send a message not to come.  Many who heard him said it did not matter what they said, they were still going to try to reach the U.S.  Often, it’s no work and the belief that they can find work and make a dignified living here.  For others, it’s fear of harm.

In an interview with WBEZ, Juan González (a journalist, researcher, and a senior fellow at the University of Illinois Chicago) shared the following:

“As many Ukrainians roughly have come to the United States in the last couple of years, as have Venezuelans. There is no narrative in the media that the Ukrainians are creating a crisis. Why not? Because the government is quietly integrating them into the society, giving them work permits, giving them social benefits, and they’re in essence melting into the U.S. population. There are more Ukrainians that have come to Chicago in the last year than Venezuelans. But somehow we see the Venezuelans in the police precincts, we see them in the shelters, we see the government claiming it has no ability to deal with them.” 

Of course, this difference doesn’t take away the prejudice that Ukrainian immigrants face in this country, the difficult path to citizenship, or the incredible loss that comes with being forced out of one’s homeland to a new country that all refugees experience. But can you tell me a little about why these immigrants are experiencing such different treatment by media and politicians? What are the political and racial implications of these two diverging narratives?

Lisa:  The program for Ukrainians is essentially the same as that for Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians: humanitarian parole. To enter the U.S., you need a sponsor, and typically that person is also providing your housing.

Other types of assistance to immigrants coming from war or natural disaster with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which was just extended for immigrants from Venezuela. This status has also been extended to several countries: Afghanistan, Burma, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liberia.

Currently, the USG has also set aside work visas (H2A and H2B) for immigrants from some Central American countries. 

Mark:  The “diverging narratives” are a product of the media. Two angles can be taken on most any issue and our media has a right and a left interpretation/slant/take on facts. The “truth isn’t truth” and “I’m just presenting alternative facts” makes it our jobs to educate folks on how the system really works.

Lisa: There were legal claims in the 1980’s about the discrepancies in the asylum approval process, arguing that the percentage of approvals was higher for asylum seekers in line with our foreign policy.  Those challenges resulted in changes to the asylum adjudication process to address these discrepancies.

According to the American Immigration Council, one in seven Illinois residents is an immigrant, and one in six workers in Illinois is an immigrant, making immigrants a major part of our labor force. What programs are being provided to help immigrants obtain jobs?

Mark: There are work development programs for immigrants and migrants, but most work is found through social networks, friends, etc., without authorization. That said, many immigrants attend ESL and GED classes, which assists with their acculturation and job readiness, increasing their English skills.

With more than 15,000 migrants arriving in Chicago since last August, with more predicted to arrive in upcoming months. How is the city planning to handle the influx, especially with winter looming?

Lisa:  Housing is the most pressing issue at this moment in Chicago. Our mayor, Brandon Johnson, and the City of Chicago are looking at “tent/yurt-like temporary housing. This decision has caused concern and even anger in some communities. We are in a very challenging time, especially now that winter is coming. We will likely see more movement in the coming weeks on this front. Many new arrivals will also find their own housing, leave to other states.

Mark: It was an outrageously infuriating move by Texas and Florida to bus people up North. But this is at the same time making so much more of the U.S. face the issue, rather than just border towns and cities. It still is to be determined how we integrate folks into this country. They are immigrating like many of our own ancestors did – seeking a better future.

Many of Chicago’s residents are frustrated that the city’s resources are being redirected to the influx of immigrants. Chicago South Side and West Side residents and business owners are especially frustrated seeing so much funding supporting asylum seekers while they continue to be underfunded. We also already have a large need for housing and mental health resources for longer term residents of Chicago. Is the City of Chicago doing anything to address these concerns? 

Lisa: Large migration movements are often cyclical. They do not go on forever. Generally, the areas surrounding the country in crisis takes on the majority of the migrants/refugees. For example, much larger numbers of Venezuelans are moving to Colombia and surrounding countries, Nicaraguans to Costa Rica, Vietnamese to other Southeast Asian countries, and Ukrainians to Eastern European countries.

We have never experienced this type of migration in Chicago. The tensions related to resource allocation are understandable. Recently, our mayor and governor have pressed for federal resources for this crisis. This would ideally supplement or eliminate the need to use State resources.

Thank you, Mark, and Lisa!

 

—

 

There are a number of social service agencies working with new immigrants in Chicago, including the Chicago Refugee Coalition, Edgewater Mutual Aid Network, Heartland Alliance, Legal Aid Chicago, and others.

We encourage you to learn who is doing work in your neighborhoods and communities.

Many organizations be seeking volunteers to assist with new arrivals.