Don't Tell Me I Can't Fly

Inspired by the life and art of Della Wells, this tells of nine-year-old Tonia Bridge growing up in a working-class, African-American home in Milwaukee in 1964

Young Tonia's artistic soul is at odds with her parents' fears and pragmatism

Her efforts to please and appease them are in conflict with her own needs and desires

Complicating Tonia's world is her mother's mental illness and her father's anger at the insidious racism of the times, which hampers his own ambitions to pursue a career in science

Tonia tries to please her mother by wearing safe, but drab, clothing

She also follows the rules in a famous etiquette book on hair, deportment and manners. She tries to please her father by making a beautiful science project she thinks will make him proud

But a different Tonia takes the stage when she is guiding her friend Theo into the world of her imagination, or finding a thrill in her secret games with her dolls

Tonia finds her way, the only way possible, showing her parents her true self with all its flaws, beauty and possibilities

Single set - runs about 70 minutes

REVIEWS

"York creates a marvelous scenario for overcoming adversity while also discovering one's unique soul" ~ Postscript Performing Arts