“1919”

[rating=3] Welcome back Steppenwolf For Young Adults! It has been awhile since the Steppenwolf Theatre Company has presented their  “For Young Adults” program. In fact, hard to believe, three years. Over the years this program has been one to expose our High school and middle school students to live theater and meaningful stories. The programs and plays are designed to reach teens, but I can see how many adults can benefit from these stories as well. I have many readers and listeners who tell me that they have never been in a theater audience. Maybe if they had been exposed to this program, they would have been. The time may be just right as the current production, “1919” with a book by Eve L. Ewing  and adaptation by J. Nicole Brooks will be going on tour shortly so that many non-theater people will have an opportunity to be entertained as well as educated.

“1919” is based on a collection of amazing poems about the killing of an African-American teenager, Eugene Williams being assassinated on Chicago’s segregated beach- the date was July 27th, 1919 , a day that had soaring temperatures. Eugene Williams was having fun. He was floating and evidently floated into the White portion of the lakefront making him a target. What happened in the days to follow left a blemish on the people and made those who came to Chicago for refuge regret the choice as it turns out the north was no better than the south for the African-Americans who just wanted to be Americans.

The story is told in 90 minutes with a cast of dynamite performers and Sharply directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Tasia A. Jones in the new Ensemble Theatre at Steppenwolf. This is the in-the-round venue that brings us closer to the performance, a perfect space for this wonderful story. Over the past 20 plus years I have been associated with Facing History and Ourselves, where teachers are taught how to cover and teach history relative to the Holocaust, Segregation and Racism. Stories such as this are a part of what they do, but this is one that I was unaware of. I can only imagine how the people felt. They risked everything they had to get out of the segregated south only to find that segregation existed in the free land they moved to. It just wasn’t as obvious!

The cast for this show is composed of Sheldon D. Brown, DeMorris Burrows, LaQuis Harkins, Max Thomas, Sola Thompson and Alexis Ward. This was not only a story about the young man who was killed, but also the rights that were denied the men who fought in World War I and were not given the same rights and benefits that the White military men got. What took place after Williams’ death were  riots ( not only in Chicago, but over the entire country) and I do not recall ever studying any of that in History class in school.

I thought the production was smooth but perhaps a little too busy. Maybe a little more concentration on all the events of the year instead of so much on Eugene Williams. There is no doubt that what happened was tragic and certainly not fair, but the overall picture was in fact much larger and had a greater impact on that year with lingering thoughts in today’s world.

“1919” will continue at Steppenwolf Theatre located at 1650 N. Halsted Street thru October 29th on Saturdays 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at 312-335-1650 or www.steppenwolf.org

During the week school busses arrive and fill the theater. I watched as these teens watched and learned. I wish they had had programs like this when I was in school. A terrific help to our youth in learning and being entertained.

FREE PERFORMANCE in a tour of the show in “Night Out In The Parks” series November 1-5 th

YA Tour Schedule:

Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 6 pm

Mandrake Park Cultural Center

3858 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Chicago,

Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 6 pm

South Shore Cultural Center

7059 S. South Shore Dr., Chicago

Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 6 pm show

Calumet Park

9801 S. Ave. G, Chicago

Friday, November 4, 2022 at 6 pm

Hamilton Park

513 W. 72^nd St., Chicago

Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 6 pm

Austin Town Hall

5610 W. Lake St., Chicago

For additional info visit  http://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets-events/seasons/2022-23/1919/

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “1919”.