WRITER | PRODUCER | PERFORMER | STORYTELLER

Caron Tate: Breaking Barriers in Theater & Telling Her Truth
The Junk and Jam Experience

In this powerful and inspiring episode of The Junk and Jam Experience, storyteller and host Christopher Albert De La Roa sits down with the remarkable Caron Tate — actress, writer, producer, playwright, and educator — whose fearless storytelling continues to shape and challenge the world of American theater.

Caron first made waves with her 1987 underground hit “Bumps!”, a raw and honest play inspired by her own experience as a topless dancer in Washington, D.C. Caron also shares what it was like performing in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Studio Theatre in 1986, with August Wilson himself in the audience, and how portraying Dussie Mae deepened her understanding of women’s power and vulnerability.

Caron joyously reflects on her early acting work in the PBS series Gettin' to Know Me, where her son Malik played her son, and how it has become a Black cult classic. She also discusses her acclaimed play “Power Points”, set at Howard University in 1968, exploring race, gender, and activism during a pivotal time for Black women in America. Along the way, Caron shares deeply personal stories about growing up Black in the U.S., including painful encounters with racism and exclusion.

Together, we explore the true meaning and power of storytelling — how it connects, heals, and empowers. And to close, we celebrate legendary Black actresses with a fun segment: Ebony Heroine Screen Queens!