By Wendy Carson

This is one of four scheduled shows in the Black Solos Fest presented by Indianapolis Black Theatre Company, a program of The District Theatre. Performance information and tickets at indydistricttheatre.org.

“We came from Pyramids, to Plantations, to Projects, to Penitentiaries.” This is the journey of the African people that writer/performer Tasha Jones presents to us in her performance, “Daughter of the King.”

The story begins with herself, at seven, learning that family is more than genetics. Her stepfather, known to everyone as “The King,” brings her to the door of her recently-paroled biological father (known in prison as “The Gorilla”). The stepfather tells him that she refuses to listen to anything he says, “because he’s not her REAL father.” Her biological father’s words impart to her his wisdom and understanding of what parenting truly means: “He knows the size of your shoes, and I know how much I have to pay to you each week.” Thus begins her new life as the daughter of The King.

After hearing his stories of the past, and encouraged to research her own history as well as that of her race, she sees the sorrowful path her people have been forced upon. Using poetry as a framework for storytelling, she gives us glimpses into the lives of various characters, both real and imagined, to highlight her narrative.

While there is beauty and grace within each tale, the gritty darkness is always present. We see the justification in refusal to seek medical treatment, the paths of addiction, and the ramifications of societal views of gender and race. We also bear witness to the degradation of lynchings not only through a short list of some of the known names, but with paintings and photographs as well.

As horrific as all of this is, I must mention that the frank discussion of rape and incest, which proves to be from an actual experience, is the most haunting portion of the show. Consider this your trigger warning.

Even with the weight of the subject matter, the show is a true delight to behold. Jones is a consummate entertainer and brings her characters to life deftly.  Director Dr. Leondra Radford has worked to keep the narrative as smooth as possible so that we can concentrate on what really matters. Komoyaka King’s accompanying drumbeats add to the style and sensation of the journey.

Also, the show is timed with a short period at the end for questions and comments, which I feel is quite perceptive given the storyline.

As this posts, there is little time to catch this on the main stage of the District Theatre, 327 Mass. Ave., Indianapolis. However, there are two performances on Sunday, Jan. 26.