Immigrant Artists Create Cabaret Celebrating and Questioning the American Experience

ExPats Theatre presents a new cabaret co-written by and starring four immigrant artists—from Peru, Germany, India, and Senegal—who examine the promises and realities of life in America through personal stories, sketches, songs, and video interviews. The production balances humor with serious examination of both the opportunities available to immigrants and the systemic limitations they face, while also playfully satirizing American stereotypes and the performers' countries of origin. Through interactive moments and shifting perspectives, the show holds up a mirror to America's complicated relationship with immigration and belonging.

The production features four performers from distinct geographic and cultural backgrounds who collectively authored the piece alongside director Karin Rosnizeck. Each artist arrived in the United States through different circumstances—some pursuing advanced degrees, others following romantic relationships—and has since built a life in Washington, DC. Their varied professional backgrounds include law, international relations, and performance arts, representing the diverse skill sets immigrants bring to American society.

The cabaret employs multiple theatrical techniques to convey its narrative, including costume changes, video components, and direct audience engagement that deliberately breaks conventional theatrical boundaries. By alternating between satirical stereotypes and authentic personal revelation, the show establishes a dynamic tension between external perceptions of immigrant identity and the internal complexity of individual experience.