Playwright, actor, and director Robbie McCauley became involved in theater as an apprentice at the Negro Ensemble Company in New York during the late 1960s. Her first play, Sally’s Rape (1990), a story about slavery that was inspired by her great-great grandmother, received an Obie Award for Best Play (1992) and a Bessie Award (1990). Her 2012 play, Sugar, is a solo performance piece in which she recounts her experiences of living with diabetes.