Tania Richard’s Solo Play Explores Identity and Belonging

5 days ago 0

Tania Richard’s new solo play, Black Girl from a White Suburb, opens with a moment of calm reflection. She engages in yoga stretches on a rug, creating a sense of looking into a private moment. The show concludes with an audience-engaged breathing exercise, offering a collective moment of reflection. Over an hour, the audience experiences Richard’s world, where memories range from humorous to painful, ending with a sense of release.

Richard is a seasoned actress with experience in notable theaters such as Goodman and Steppenwolf. As an artistic affiliate at American Blues Theater, she also consults on inclusion and belonging. In 2025, Richard wrote a memoir, Black Girl from a White Suburb: Finding My Light, Using My Voice. American Blues Theater commissioned a stage adaptation, directed by J. Nicole Brooks.

Richard’s story begins with her parents, who moved from Haiti to Canada for medical school and eventually settled in Chicago for their residencies. Advised to raise their family in Western Springs, a predominantly white suburb, Richard grew up as the sole Black student in her school. Her high school years introduced another Black student, although Richard humorously notes his preference for dating white girls.

Richard discovered autonomy in writing and performing, though the journey was challenging. Despite experiencing discouragement from her middle-school drama teacher, her role in Alice in Wonderland was pivotal. Portraying a caterpillar and covered in green makeup allowed her to escape racial bias, as she jokes about predating Elphaba from Wicked.

Richard’s narrative provides insight into anti-Black racism beyond commonly acknowledged injustices. Even with relative privilege, like living in a comfortable suburb with professional parents, the everyday encounters carried offensive undertones. Her account includes the impact of national events like Rodney King’s beating and subsequent trial, which overlapped with her performance in Steppenwolf Theatre’s The Song of Jacob Zulu. The play, set during Apartheid, later moved to Broadway. Richard’s memories of that time are filled with intense emotion.

The theme of breath is significant in the narrative. Richard draws parallels between the pleas of Eric Garner and George Floyd—“I can’t breathe”—and her experiences with medical racism. After contracting COVID-19 in 2020 and struggling with long COVID symptoms, she received proper care only from a Black doctor. Breathing underscores a marker of discrimination in her narrative.

While Richard’s final call to action might benefit from deeper development, her journey toward self-expression and authorship is both inspiring and thought-provoking. Black Girl from a White Suburb may not be the most dramatic memoir-style show, but its authenticity speaks volumes. It feels as though Richard invites audiences into her personal space, sharing a story worth hearing.

Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.