SAVANNAH, Ga. () — The Youth Artists of Savannah United (YASU) youth theater program is set to present the premiere of Winsphere Jones’ Checkmate, a new stage play.

YASU is a 7-week program under the city of Savannah’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) with the purpose of bringing together youth from different backgrounds to form a united theater collective, teaching and motivating them to find their passion and voices through theater and artistic expression.

“Checkmate” will be premiered as part of the participants’ capstone project on Aug. 16 at 2:30 p.m. at the Otis S. Johnson, Ph.D. Cultural Arts Center located at 201 Montgomery Street.

“This play isn’t just a whodunit, it’s a conversation starter,” playwright and director Winsphere Jones said. “The cast is made up of young people who are telling stories that reflect their realities. This is theater with purpose.”

The play is free and open to the public. You can register for tickets here.