The Flight, a new work by acclaimed theatre artist Beryl Bain, explores the ground-breaking life of aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman – the first African-American woman and the first Native-American to hold an international pilot’s license.
Swept north by the vast wave of African-American migration from the southern United States, Bessie’s family arrived in Chicago as the Roaring 20’s opened a new world of opportunity. Rising above economic obstacles and social barriers, she earned the nickname ”Brave Bessie” and even her dreams were quite literally sky high.
From flight school in Paris, to spectacular barnstorming shows, Bessie dazzled audiences with her bravery, beauty, and technological mastery. Her shows travelled the country from New York to LA, pushing past the bounds of gravity, and the limitations imposed by society.
Bessie’s ultimate dream was to lift others up through opening her own flight school, so more people could have access to the same opportunities she created for herself.
The Flight channels Bessie’s unshakable optimism, her determination, vision, and indomitable self confidence, that led her to soar above the clouds, reaching ever closer to the sun.