Lookingglass Theatre Company’s Annual Community Ritual SUNSET 1919 Returns July 27
Free public event honors the legacy of Eugene Williams and Black and Indigenous artistry.
Lookingglass Theatre Company will present its fifth annual Sunset 1919: A Ritual on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Eugene Williams Memorial Marker, located 1/4 mile north of 31st Street Beach (125 Fort Dearborn Drive). This free outdoor community event is co-curated by Ensemble Members Kareem Bandealy and J. Nicole Brooks.
Held each year in memory of Eugene Williams—a Black teenager killed in 1919 for crossing an imaginary racial line while swimming in Lake Michigan—Sunset 1919 is a spiritual and creative gathering that blends music, movement, and word in a shared act of remembrance and resilience. The ritual also acknowledges the land’s Indigenous roots and fosters healing through communal art.
This year’s event will also include a dedication of the Eugene Williams Memorial Mural by artist Pugs Atomz, which will later be displayed at Lookingglass’ home at the Water Tower Water Works. The ritual will honor the late Arkey Adams, a key contributor to the original Sunset 1919, who passed away earlier this year.
2025 Participating Artists Include:
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Yaw Agyeman – Word
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Pugs Atomz – Muralist
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Kareem Bandealy – Co-Curator
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J. Nicole Brooks – Co-Curator
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Naydja Bruton – Music
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Caitlin Edwards – Music
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Kopano Muhammad – Movement
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DJ PatriciaCVIII – Release
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Anthony Michael Tamez – Grounding
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Glenn Felix Willoughby – Photo/Video
Summer Programming Continues at Lookingglass
Sunset 1919 is part of a full lineup of Lookingglass Theatre’s summer offerings, including:
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Final performances of Iraq, But Funny – must close July 20
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Ice Cream Circus! – Free circus/dance/clown performances in Chicago parks, August 17–24
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GglassFest – Inaugural new works festival, September 5–13
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Chicago Public Library Family Workshop – Mysterious City scavenger hunt, July 26
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Summergglass Camps – August 4–15, featuring creative drama and puppetry
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Young Ensemble Auditions – Registration opens August 18
For more information, ticketing, and registration, visit LookingglassTheatre.org.
Videos
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South Pacific Paramount Arts Centre (4/29-6/14) |
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Hedwig and the Angry Inch Catalyst Ranch (7/09-7/26) |
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R.E.S.P.E.C.T. North Theatre at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts (7/25-7/25) |
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Talking About Godard Curious Theatre Branch (5/29-6/28) |
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CINDERELLA by The United European Ballet Company Harris Theater for Music and Dance (11/08-11/08) |
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Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld Bramble Arts Loft (7/10-7/19) |
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A People Theater Wit (6/18-7/05) |
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O.A.R., Gavin DeGraw & KT Tunstall Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island (9/06-9/06) |
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Oh, Mary! CIBC Theatre (1/19-2/07) |
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GreenRoom Improv Raue Center For The Arts (9/05-9/05) |
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