Edward Anaya makes all the calls in the Pueblo—well, he calls the numbers at BINGO HALL, the senior center’s bimonthly bingo. But college acceptance letters kick-start an identity crisis: Who will Edward be if he leaves home and bingo behind? Like Ferris Bueller in a Pueblo, Edward knows just what to say until romantic rejection, family antics, and community pressures leave him tongue-tied.
- Intended audience/age restrictions: This reading is geared toward a general audience (teens and adults), but we wouldn’t recommend it for young children.
- Content warnings: The play touches on themes of family conflict, cultural identity, and coming-of-age pressures. There are no explicit scenes of violence or language beyond PG-13.
We begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather, rehearse, perform, and create is the traditional territory of many Indigenous nations. We honor that this land is part of the ancestral homeland of the Council of the Three Fires: Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi , and also recognize other tribes whose presence and trade, stewardship, and movement shaped this region, including the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Miami, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Sac and Fox, Kickapoo, and others.This area, now called Chicago, has long been a center of gathering, trade, and cultural exchange. Indigenous peoples were pushed off these lands through treaties, forced removals, and violence , The 1833 Treaty of Chicago required cession of lands in the region.
BINGO HALL is presented in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side, we recognize that we are beneficiaries of settler colonialism. We commit ourselves not only to speaking this acknowledgment, but to supporting Indigenous voices, building real relationships, and acting toward justice. We pledge to listen, to learn, and to center Indigenous perspectives in our programming, outreach, hiring, and partnerships.
We invite all who join us , artists, audiences, staff, and community members , to join in this work, with respect, humility, and accountability.