Artist Bio

(Bio as of July 2013)

Albany Park Theater Project (APTP), founded in 1997 by David Feiner and Laura Wiley,  is a multiethnic youth theater ensemble that inspires people to envision a more just and beautiful world. APTP has devised and premiered 19 original plays based on the life experiences of people whose stories might otherwise go untold: urban teens, immigrants and working-class Americans. APTP has previously appeared in two Latino Theatre Festivals at the Goodman, in 2008 with Aquí Estoy and in 2010 with Feast. APTP is equally renowned for creating a space where teenagers embark on purposeful lives as adventurous dreamers and accomplished achievers. APTP nurtures its teen ensemble members with mentoring, tutoring and a comprehensive college counseling program. Through these programs, APTP teens have achieved a 72 percent better high school graduation rate, a 42 percent higher college matriculation rate and a 600 percent higher college graduation rate than the average for Chicago public school students. Among its many awards, APTP is the proud recipient of National Immigrant Justice Center’s Human Rights Award for using the arts to advocate for the human rights of all people, and of the Coming Up Taller Award, the nation’s highest honor for arts organizations that nurture the creativity of young people.

Visit Albany Park Theater Project online at APTPChicago.org.