Join us for a staged reading of Just Before Day. Originally written to be a radio play, this story follows Nettie Sampson, the matriarch of a struggling Black family in 1940s Harlem in the midst of World War II. Nettie endeavors to hold her family together through the daily travails of poverty and racial discrimination in the face of American hypocrisy, while her only son is abroad serving his country in the military.
Following the reading Chicago theatre luminaries Ron OJ Parson, Pemon Rami and Chuck Smith will reflect on the significance of Ward’s works and the impact his legacy has had on them personally and professionally.
August 13, 2025 | Penthouse, The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts (915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637) | 6:30pm Staged Reading | 7:30pm Conversation