Steppenwolf Theatre play "1919" tells the story of Eugene Williams, a Black teen killed for swimming in Lake Michigan on the South Side of Chicago."1919" is Steppenwolf's current hit drama. It's the true story of a heart wrenching act of racial hatred that killed a Black teenager taking a swim on a hot Chicago day.Eugene Williams, 17, was in Lake Michigan near the South Side shore. He drifted into what were considered "white" waters.
"I'm a native South Sider. I still live on the South Side of Chicago, so for me, it's amazing," Thomas said. "I'm expecting it to be a community gathering of us learning, of us educating each other and us being able to have a great conversation of how we can move forward so this horrible violence doesn't happen again.