Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...As a duo, Brooks and Ewing are compelled not just by the exhaustion inherent in telling this story, the images dancing late at night in their heads, but by the contradictions of Chicago itself. Especially here, you've got the irony of a body of water without boundaries running up against the racial rigidity of dry land, of the promise of a freshwater lake and the reality of bodies on the shore. And by implication, of course, the piece is asking its audience to think about their own home and what hope its history implies and allows."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Eve L. Ewing's poetry collection "1919," published a century after the year of its title, looks back at and forward from the summer of 1919 to tell a story of how Black lives are lived in Chicago. Playwright J. Nicole Brooks' new world premiere adaptation, now on stage at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, brings Ewing's interweaving of research and imagination to thrilling, kinetic life."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...It’s a kaleidoscopic piece that resists the tyranny of linear narrative. You may not learn every fact about the 1919 riots (that’s what history books are for). But you may find a deeper sorrow and knowledge seeping into your bones, thanks to the hypnotic pull of this piece. It’s geared for younger audiences who are being told daily that frank discussion of America’s racist history is too “divisive.” I hope more audiences can see it soon."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"..."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."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Steppenwolf Theatre for Young Audiences happily returns to live programming after three years of closure, due to the pandemic. The goal this program is to provide “sophisticated, challenging and vital performances for Chicago teens. As this project returns, there’a even more hope for the series because it’s currently headed by a team of talented Black Women for this show. In “1919,” as in all the plays that follow, Steppenwolf will offer exciting works that will continue to speak to every age group, that will entertain and inspire intergenerational audiences all year long."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...To commemorate that assassination, J. Nicole Brooks has adapted Chicago writer Dr. Eve L. Ewing's poems into the 90-minute world premiere play 1919, evocative of Ntozake Shange's "choreopoems," a melange of story, song, and movement (designed by Meida McNeal and Abra Johnson). Co-directors Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Tasia A. Jones wrangle a half-dozen energetic actors, named Humans 1-6, to represent the incident, the riots and the results."
Splash Magazine - Somewhat Recommended
"...In this adaptation of 1919, Brooks attempts to cover many events during this horrendous Summer. For me, it missed the mark. Much of the story seemed lost in the overly animated and, most times, hard-to-hear dialogue. The production was busy, and the message got lost in the clutter. I had hoped for a more vivid and detailed picture of the events surrounding the storyline. Theatre is subjective, so although this was not one of my favorite productions, it does not mean others won't find it enjoyable."
