Onstage: Broken Beauty, The Wreck of the Steamer Columbia

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Glencoe Public Library
Johnson Room

Event Details

The worst maritime accident in the history of the Illinois River, the wreck of the steamboat Columbia, is today a mostly forgotten tragedy. On the evening of July 5, 1918, nearly 500 passengers embarked from Pekin, Illinois, on the Columbia for a midnight cruise on the Illinois River. On the return trip a hole was torn in the ship’s hull, the Columbia foundered, and 87 souls were lost. Part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library research collection in Springfield, author Ken Zurski’s book, The Wreck of the Columbia, recounts the compelling true story of the ill-fated Columbia. 

 Local writer Mark Henry Larson has adapted Zurski’s work for the stage. On March 18, at 2:00 p.m., the Glencoe Public Library will host a performance of Larson’s new play, Broken Beauty: The Wreck of the Steamer Columbia. Presented as a multi-media stage reading, Broken Beauty features a cast of 15 actors portraying 57 roles and an original musical score performed by live musicians. 

 Mr. Zurski and Mr. Larson will be on hand for a question-and-answer session after the performance. Copies of The Wreck of the Columbia will be available for purchase and signing.

 The 90-minute production is for adults and young adults and will be staged in the library’s Johnson Room.


Event Type(s): Arts and Music, Adult Program, YA Program
Age Group(s): Adult, Family, Teen/YA