On the newly constructed stage inside the historic Water Tower Water Works building in the heart of Chicago, twelve actors discuss an issue that still plagues America four decades after the Civil Rights movement.

“Race: How Blacks And Whites Think And Feel About The American Obsession” portrays race relations in Chicago and how Americans still struggle with the issue today. The play consists of a series of skits that range from a solemn reaction to the race-motivated death of Emmett Till to a lighthearted game of “Name That Stereotype.”

“It’s weird to feel you have a hit about a controversial subject,” said Andrew White, Communication ’87, an actor in the show. “This theater has become a town hall to talk about it.”

“Race” is the first Lookingglass Theatre Company production at the Water Tower theater, where the company has resided since June. It also is the first production based on Studs Terkel’s book by the same name, which was adapted by Joy Gregory and Northwestern’s David Schwimmer, Communication ’88, who is directing the show.

Schwimmer’s confidence in directing the play has helped to make it the success it has been, White said. He noted that Schwimmer is very protective of his cast and trusts everyone on stage.

“I have rarely met anyone who feels so comfortable in (the director) shoes,” White said. “He is a complete natural.”

White, who, along with Schwimmer, was one of the eight NU students to found the Lookingglass Theatre Company in 1988, said he has been pleased with the positive response to the play so far. Its run was recently extended to end Aug. 24.

“I hope this show will effect personal change in people who see it, and that’s all we can really hope for,” White said. “We want this space to be a place where people are enthralled and compelled and awestruck.”

White said the new theater, in which audience members face one another across the stage, adds to the show’s level of intimacy.

“As an actor, it’s a total thrill to be in,” White said. “You don’t have to work very hard to reach people.”

He added that Schwimmer always knew the audience would be a big part of his production and intended audience members to be conscious of their reactions to the topic.

And the theater space is conducive to more than just performances. Every Sunday evening the Lookingglass company hosts open conversations to delve more deeply into the subject of race. It also sponsors outreach programs to teach youth about theater.

“We’re generating new generations of audience members and theater artists,” White said. “I feel like the city is richer for this company inhabiting this space.”

White said the proposal for the play resonated with the company, whose motto, “One can make a difference,” suggests its long-standing commitment to social justice issues. He added that being part of the theater’s ensemble has always made him feel that he is effecting change.

“I come out here and do seven shows a week and make it real for me so I can make it real for them,” White said. “That’s how I make a difference.”