Just as the company of American Mariachi was finishing their final dress rehearsal at production partner Dallas Theater Center in March of 2020, the theater world as they knew it was put on pause. Now, nearly a year-and-a-half later, Director Henry Godinez traces his path from Dallas back to the Goodman stage and how that time has helped him dive deeper into the play’s emotional depths.

The characters of American Mariachi take a stand against stereotypes when they strike upon the radical idea of creating an all-women mariachi band. Chicago is home to its own all-women mariachi band: the Mariachi Sirenas. Group co-founders Eréndira Izguerra, (who plays Tía Carmen in American Mariachi) and Ibet Herrera share how representation has the potential to change a culture.