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Broadway

DEBUT Will Make Midwest Premiere at CIRCA Pintig

Nate Cozens' comedy follows a 29-year-old Filipino drag queen who decides to celebrate a traditional coming-of-age party as a way to restart his life. The play runs at multiple Chicago venues through the end of the year.

BroadwayWorld·Oct 21, 2026·via BroadwayWorld

DEBUT Will Make Midwest Premiere at CIRCA Pintig

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Playwright Nate Cozens drew inspiration from his own turning 30 to craft a story about reinvention, directed by RJ Silva and starring AJ Lingad.

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CIRCA Pintig will present the Midwest premiere of a new play by playwright Nate Cozens. Debut: Coming of Age in Filipino America is a comedy about a 29-year-old Filipino drag queen Jomar who decides to make his family throw him a 'debut' party–traditionally for Filipino girls when they turn 18 as they enter womanhood–as a way to start fresh after a sad and flailing drag and musical theater career in his twenties. But as the party gets closer, plans continue to fall apart, and the flashy Broadway-levels of Filipino extravagance Jomar wants at his debut gets harder to achieve. Ultimately, Jomar's family show him the love and support he may have forgotten, as they celebrate his birthday in a heartfelt and flamboyant way, just like how any Filipino party turns up! Debut will bring sass and sweetness all in a romp of a one-act play.

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Playwright Nate Cozens drew on his own experience of turning 30 to create a story about reinvention at every age. 'If anything, I felt like I was just getting started,' he says, reflecting on the changes he and his family were navigating. Director RJ Silva sees that same possibility in Jomar's journey: 'at any age, we can always find ourselves and find our home.' For Silva, the exuberance of a Filipino birthday party makes the perfect setting for a story about rediscovering the people who love us.

For AJ Lingad, who plays Jomar, the role resonates personally and artistically. 'It has always been my mission as an artist to tell stories that represent the queer/asian community,' Lingad shares. Steven Cristi, who plays Zach, hopes audiences feel the warmth of the relationships onstage: 'I hope the audience feels loved.' And Nina Mae Vidal Howard, who portrays Lola Corazon, distills the play's heart into a simple wish: 'That we should all love no matter what and love unconditionally.'

CIRCA Pintig will finish their season with Debut in three different venues: opening at the Filament Theatre during their Community Jam season, from November 5th to 9th, and then taking it to the cabaret sized stage of Bughouse Theatre for three performances from November 12th to 14th. Finally, an encore performance will close out the year at the Rizal Center, CIRCA Pintig's home in the Chicago Filipino community, with an encore on December 3rd and a special Gala performance on December 4th to celebrate the season's end–with a true Filipino party feast included! Tickets range through the show from $18-60, with the December 3rd Gala performance starting at $50 which includes dinner and season announcement. All ticket links can be found at https://www.circapintig.org/productions/debut

The heartbeat of Filipino American theatre, CIRCA Pintig brings Filipino and Filipino American stories to the storefront stages of Chicago for more than 30 years. The theatre company and community arts organization creates powerful, socially relevant productions that educate, entertain, and inspire by developing new works and addressing pressing social issues through the power of theatre. CIRCA Pintig boasts a Filipino American acting ensemble, commissioned playwrights, and reimagined theatrical works through the Filipino lens. circapintig.org

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/DEBUT-Will-Make-Midwest-Premiere-at-CIRCA-Pintig-20261021)._

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