American Blues Theater: Black Girl From a White Suburb
Tania Richard
American Blues Theater Presents BLACK GIRL FROM A WHITE SUBURB Review - From Caterpillar to Butterfly
TLDR: Adapted from her autobiography, Tania Richards stars in the theatrical production of Black Girl From a White Suburb. In this intimate production, she takes her audience along for the journey of defining moments of her acting career that also defined her experience as a Black woman in these predominantly white spaces.
Tania Richard
The Writer’s Journey Is Not An Easy One
Tania Richard enters the stage from the door to her office. She joins us in the theater by sitting at her desk where a laptop waits to be opened. Her office has floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with books, statues, photographs, and other momentos. She places her cup of tea on a coaster and settles down in her chair. Now we see the writer’s process.
She opens the laptop and stares at the screen before closing it again. She plays with the stuffed animal on her desk, making the koala dance in front of her. She fiddles with a few stones from a bowl before rolling over to the shelves. She picks up a notebook and opens to a fresh page. Before she writes anything though, she pauses. She lays down on her back on the rug and slowly breathes in and out. We feel the energy change. She returns to the desk and looks up at us for the first time.
“We are not the authors of our life. But we are the authors of our story.”
This is the inspiration she has been looking for. It unlocks her mind and now she feels like she has the freedom to craft her story. We’re taken on a journey of Richard's theatrical career - starting with her 7th grade production of Peter Pan all the way through her time on Broadway. But there’s one important piece to her story as well. As she tells us about these defining moments, there’s something else that can’t be ignored as a part of her experience. All of her life she’s been met with forms of racism - from blatant discrimination to microaggressions - as she finds herself in predominantly white spaces. She weaves this through her narrative showing us what it was like to be a Black Girl From a White Suburb.
Tania Richard
Inviting Us Into the Story
From the moment Richard begins speaking, it feels like she’s inviting us into a conversation. As she tells us about her life, it feels like we could be chatting over a cup of coffee and we want to ask follow-up questions. She smiles off into the distance as she brings back a memory and sometimes she does break the fourth wall. She turns to ask us a question or for an example from our own lives. She deftly handles her story with seriousness when needed. She knows when it’s time a beat to let a moment sink in and for us to feel the gravity of what happened to her.
But she also knows when to be light and joyful. She laughs at the irony of casting a white man in the audience to be her while she plays her high school teacher. She opens a cabinet on her bookshelves where a spotlight shines on a green felt hat. She reenacts her role as the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland and dances to a song from the 80s.
Black Girl From a White Suburb is a phenomenal piece of writing because it takes a whole woman’s life, packed with lessons, social commentary, and nostalgia and hits it all succinctly in just a one hour show.
Tania Richard
The After Party Thoughts
Richard is a delightful storyteller. She invites everyone in and welcomes them. She’s unafraid to call a spade a spade and encourages us to do the same. So thank you to the other Black woman in the audience unafraid to answer Richard’s question while the rest of us (mostly white) folks hesitated, that yes, all of these experiences of gaslighting, microaggressions, and more were because she was Black.
Her story is unique and also echoes everything we hear about Black experiences. And yet her story still needs to be told for those who are still afraid to define it and those who are still new to the ongoing conversation. For those that are looking to continue expanding their worldview, those that like plays with a call to action at the end, or for those that are fans of shows telling a good life story, Black Girl From a White Suburb would be a great fit for you!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Tania Richard
When
Now through October 4, 2026
Where
American Blues Theater
5627 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
Runtime: 65min, no intermission
Tickets
$34+
Tickets can be purchased by calling (773) 654-3103 or through the American Blues Theater website
Photos
Michael Brosilow
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
Tania Richard
CAST
Tania Richard (Writer / Performer)
CREATIVE
Tania Richard (Creator)
J. Nicole Brooks (Director)
Shokie Tseumah (Scenic Designer)
Rueben D. Echoles (Costume Designer)
Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer)
Willow James (Sound Designer)
Breon Arzell (Movement Choreographer)
Paul Deziel (Projection Designer)
Tyson Carter (Properties Designer)
Michael Trudeau (Lighting Supervisor & Facilities Manager)
Lily Walls (Wardrobe Supervisor)
Matt Reich (Audio Supervisor)
Manny Buckley (Assistant Producer)
Richard Lundy (Stage Manager)
El Valet (Assistant Stage Manager)