1919

Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) proudly presents the world premiere adaptation of Eve L. Ewing’s 1919, which tells the story of the killing of 17-year-old Eugene Williams in treacherous waters off the segregated 1919 Lake Michigan shoreline. The next eight days and their aftermath constitute an under-told episode of the city’s history. Adapted from Ewing’s poems, J. Nicole Brooks’s play is a bold, lyrical exploration of Black Chicagoans’ resistance, fortitude, and endurance: past, present, and future.