A product of the civil rights movement, DELIA struggles with the burden of raising black children in “an era when racism was real." She parents with a harshness where discipline and high expectation trump love and affection, determined that her girls should achieve success. Physically encumbered by a serious heart defect, SHERIFA approaches life with intensity that comes from the expectation of early death. Fiercely individual, she is the daughter who battles against DELIA’s autocratic reign, while alternately loving and resenting her younger, healthy sister. A gentler soul, TITA carries the responsibility of trying to make life easier for mother and sister, each seemingly unable to find happiness. The cost of this role is her sense of self, and we watch her fight to carve out the space to grow and thrive. This powerful play addresses the universal question “How do we break free of our circumstances?” and reminds its audience that fulfillment, joy and freedom often lie just A Step Beyond the Rain.
