CHICAGO—Jim Thatcher brought his son Jim Michael Thatcher and his family to enjoy Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Civic Opera House on May 3.

Mr. Thatcher, general manager for a bowling center, said, “This is the second time I’ve been here, and the first time for my family. It’s great. We enjoyed it so much last year that I decided to bring the kids. There are phenomenal special effects, and the dancing is great.”

Mr. Thatcher remarked on the stories dramatized in dance. “We were just commenting on the stories portrayed of what happened in China before communism took place and took over.”

Young Mr. Thatcher, a construction site supervisor, said he discussed this with his father.

According to the program, “It tells of people who practice Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong), the meditation discipline guided by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Falun Dafa practitioners could once be found in parks across China. But in 1999, the communist regime, fearing the practice’s popularity, launched a brutal campaign to wipe it out.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun, which was founded by individuals who practice Falun Dafa, is also harassed and threatened by the communist regime and is banned from performing in China.

He said, “I’m happy to see them fighting for their religion. It’s easy to see why Shen Yun is persecuted by communist China, that [communists] are very unhappy with this. But I’m liking it.”

“We’re in the United States, and we have freedoms to express ourselves. So I think Shen Yun is terrific. I don’t know what the ultimate impact is back home in China, but they’re getting their story out. It’s very interesting,” he said.

Mr. Thatcher admitted, “I don’t know what modern China is even like. But if you compare it with United States ... In fact, there’s a lot of conversations now about the founding fathers and their belief in God, and the growing atheism that’s been going on in the United States.”

He’s seen a change in people’s beliefs. “Fortunately, it’s kind of reversed, and belief in God is growing again. I’m old school, so I believe. It’s great to see that the Chinese still have their beliefs, also.”

He agreed wholeheartedly that Shen Yun shows courage in putting these stories on stage. “The persecution—I was reading about it. When I got the tickets, they sent some films about things that are going on and about the training that the dancers go through. It’s a terrific, terrific story.”

Mr. Thatcher echoed those sentiments: “Good luck to them and keep up the good work.”