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For Colored Girls

For colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf is a choreopoem written by Ntozake Shange that premiered in 1974 in San Francisco and reached Broadway in 1976 at the Booth Theatre (then Henry Miller Theatre).^[1]^[2] The work consists of poetic monologues delivered by seven unnamed African American women, each identified by a color from the rainbow (such as lady in red or lady in blue), interwoven with dance and music to explore themes of love, abuse, loss, and resilience in the face of racial and sexual oppression.^[3]^[4] Shange's innovative format rejected traditional dramatic structure in favor of a nonlinear, performative style that emphasized emotional and physical expression, drawing from African American oral traditions and jazz improvisation to affirm black female solidarity and self-empowerment.^[5] The production received critical acclaim for its raw portrayal of women's experiences, earning nominations for two Tony Awards in 1977, including Best Play, as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Production.^[1] It marked the second play by a black woman to open on Broadway and has since become one of the most frequently performed works of black feminist theater, influencing subsequent generations of performers and writers.^[6] The choreopoem has seen numerous revivals, including a 2022 Broadway production directed by Camille A. Brown, and adaptations such as a 2010 feature film directed by Tyler Perry, though the stage version remains its primary and most enduring form.^[7] While celebrated for amplifying marginalized voices, it has faced critique within some literary circles for its rejection of conventional narrative and emphasis on experiential over analytical discourse, reflecting broader debates on form and representation in black women's literature.^[8]

Creation and Historical Context

Development and Ntozake Shange's Influences

Ntozake Shange, born Paulette Williams in 1948, drew from her experiences as a poet and activist in the 1970s Black feminist movement to create the work, motivated by encounters with sexism within Black Power organizations and personal hardships including an abortion and sexual assault.^[9]^[10] Shange, who adopted her Zulu name meaning "she who comes with her own things" and "who walks with new feet," sought to articulate the specific oppressions faced by Black women, which she felt were marginalized in broader Black nationalist discourses dominated by male perspectives.^[11] The piece originated in 1974 as individual poems recited by Shange in women's bars and coffeehouses in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she improvised with female poets and dancers to explore themes of Black female resilience amid violence and betrayal.^[12]^[5] Its first staged incarnation occurred in December 1974 at The Bacchanal, a women's bar near Berkeley, California, featuring Shange alongside dancers Paula Moss and Elvia Marta, marking an early shift toward integrating spoken word with movement.^[9]^[13] By 1975, while teaching at Sonoma State University, Shange refined these elements into a non-linear choreopoem—a form blending poetry, dance, music, and narrative fragments—rejecting conventional theatrical structure in favor of performative spontaneity to evoke emotional truths over plot-driven storytelling. Shange's artistic vision was shaped by African American oral traditions, jazz improvisation, and dance, which informed the work's rhythmic monologues and embodied expressions as a means to reclaim Black women's voices from silence.^[14]^[15] These influences reflected her commitment to a holistic form that mirrored the improvisational energy of jazz and the communal storytelling of Black cultural heritage, allowing performers to convey layered experiences of joy, trauma, and survival without reliance on linear causality.^[16]

Premiere and Early Performances

The choreopoem transferred to Broadway following successful off-Broadway runs, opening on September 15, 1976, at the Booth Theatre under the direction of Oz Scott.^[7]^[17] The production featured an all-female cast of seven performers, each identified as a "lady in" one of seven colors—red, blue, green, yellow, brown, purple, and orange—wearing corresponding dresses to symbolize distinct voices and experiences.^[7] This staging marked a significant milestone as one of the first Broadway productions centered exclusively on Black women's narratives in a non-traditional theatrical form blending poetry, music, and dance. The Broadway run lasted 742 performances, closing on July 16, 1978, demonstrating strong commercial viability despite its experimental structure.^[17]^[18] It received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 1977 and earned Ntozake Shange an Obie Award for distinguished playwriting, recognizing its innovative impact on theater.^[19]^[20] Early performances elicited mixed reactions, with enthusiastic responses in urban Black communities for its raw depiction of women's struggles, contrasted by controversies in mainstream and some Black male audiences over monologues addressing rape, incest, and interpersonal violence within Black families.^[11]^[21] Shange noted that the backlash from Black men mirrored historical resistances to Black Power movements, highlighting cultural tensions around explicit portrayals of intra-community trauma.^[21] Logistical challenges included adapting the intimate choreopoem format to Broadway's larger stage while preserving its visceral, audience-engaging energy, amid broader debates on sexism and representation in Black arts.^[22]

Form and Themes

Structure as a Choreopoem

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf employs a choreopoem structure, a form invented by Ntozake Shange that fuses poetry, dance, music, and song into a theatrical expression distinct from conventional prose-based plays.^[16] The work comprises approximately 20 poetic monologues delivered by seven performers, each representing an unnamed Black woman designated by a rainbow color—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, or brown—and clad accordingly, without reliance on a central protagonist or linear plot progression.^[23]^[24] These monologues interconnect via choreographed movements, musical interludes, and lighting shifts, prioritizing rhythmic language, repetitive phrasing, and embodied physicality to evoke visceral responses over dialogue-driven interactions or narrative causality.^[16] Stage mechanics include synchronized formations, such as the performers arranging into a pyramid to amplify collective utterance, underscoring shared rather than isolated voices.^[25] Shange rejected standard dramatic frameworks when they proved inadequate for her aims, developing the choreopoem to mirror the nonlinear, experiential realities of Black women's psyches through integrated sensory elements.^[26] In this mode, text and motion derive from unified breath, capturing fragmented consciousness and communal resilience absent in Aristotelian models of unity and resolution.^[16]^[27]

Core Narratives and Monologues

The choreopoem features monologues delivered by seven women, each associated with a color of the rainbow—brown, red, yellow, green, blue, purple, and orange—recounting episodic personal experiences drawn from stories Shange recorded from urban black women in the early 1970s.^[11] These narratives emphasize direct interpersonal dynamics, such as male partners' infidelity and abandonment, over broader societal constructs.^[11] ^[9] Recurring motifs include domestic violence, as in the lady in red's account of her partner Beau Willie, who, enraged by her refusal to marry, drops their two young children from a fifth-story window to their deaths on January 14, 1975, in a New York apartment.^[11] Rape appears early, with one woman describing a violent assault that leaves her physically and emotionally scarred, underscoring immediate physical violation by known assailants.^[28] Abandonment by lovers recurs, often linked to pregnancy; for instance, a narrative details a man fleeing after impregnating his partner, forcing her to seek an illegal abortion amid isolation and financial strain in the pre-Roe v. Wade era.^[29] ^[9] Counterbalancing despair are sequences of self-reclamation and sensuality, such as in "somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff," where the speaker realizes her lover has eroded her identity through repeated betrayals and false apologies, but she asserts agency by evicting him and restoring her core self: "not even gonna pretend i didn't love you / but love don't mean stupid."^[11] ^[30] Joyful dances punctuate the pieces, with women moving in unison to evoke erotic fulfillment and communal vitality, as in vignettes celebrating physical intimacy without male dominance.^[11] The title reflects suicidal ideation amid these traumas—contemplated by women facing repeated betrayals like absent fathers or serial philandering—but shifts to endurance, with characters "movin to the ends of their own rainbows" through personal resolve rather than external salvation.^[8] Shange rooted these in verbatim-like accounts from her interviews, prioritizing causal chains of individual actions, such as a father's departure leading to daughters' vulnerability to exploitative men.^[11] ^[9]

Major Productions

Original Broadway Run

The original Broadway production of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf opened on September 15, 1976, at the Booth Theatre, following its earlier off-Broadway engagement at The Public Theater.^[31]^[32] Directed by Oz Scott, the staging retained the choreopoem's fusion of poetry, music, dance, and monologues performed by a cast of seven Black women, each representing a color from the rainbow. The ensemble highlighted performers such as Trazana Beverley, who made her Broadway debut as the Lady in Red.^[33]^[34] The production's technical elements emphasized atmospheric lighting and integrated musical accompaniment to underscore the emotional intensity of the narratives, with sound design incorporating jazz, blues, and African rhythms to complement the performers' movements. It achieved commercial viability in a season dominated by mainstream musicals and dramas, sustaining operations through consistent attendance at the 1,079-seat venue.^[33] The run lasted 742 performances, closing in October 1978, marking a significant achievement for a non-musical work by a Black female playwright on Broadway. This longevity reflected strong word-of-mouth appeal, particularly among diverse audiences, though some reports noted varied responses ranging from enthusiastic receptions to discomfort with the raw depictions of trauma among certain viewers.^[32]^[31]

Revivals and International Tours

The 2019 off-Broadway revival at The Public Theater in New York City opened on October 22, directed by Leah C. Gardiner with choreography by Camille A. Brown, featuring an all-women-of-color cast including Okwui Okpokwasili as the lady in green.^[35]^[36]^[37] Staged in the round with minimalistic elements like hazy mirrors and Lucite wind chimes, the production preserved Shange's original choreopoem structure while emphasizing themes of sisterhood and resilience amid ongoing issues such as intimate partner violence and sexual assault.^[37] This staging transferred to Broadway at the Booth Theatre, opening on April 20, 2022, under Brown's dual direction and choreography, maintaining fidelity to the script's poetic monologues and movement sequences without introducing non-Black performers or textual alterations.^[35] International stagings have adapted the work to local contexts while adhering to its core form. In 1978, an Australian tour directed by Oz Scott visited cities including Adelaide (as part of the 10th Adelaide Festival of Arts), Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville, Cairns, and Brisbane, featuring American performers such as Alfre Woodard.^[35] More recently, in November 2023, the European Union Delegation to Kenya and the Embassy of Denmark presented a production in Mombasa with Kenyan actresses, incorporating music, dance, and song to explore themes of pain, resilience, and self-love tailored to East African audiences.^[38] Recent regional and college productions continue to highlight the choreopoem's enduring appeal through script-faithful interpretations. Loyola University's College of Music and Media staged it on October 24, 2024, as a groundbreaking exploration of Black women's experiences via poetry and performance.^[39] Circle Players mounted a production opening in October 2024, directed with attention to the original's emotional depth.^[40] Northern Illinois University's School of Theatre and Dance scheduled it for the 2025-2026 season, underscoring its historical significance in American theater.^[41] These efforts, often featuring casts of Black women, reflect sustained interest in Shange's narratives without reported shifts to diverse racial casting or major deviations from the 1976 text.^[42]

Adaptations

Television and Stage Variants

A television adaptation of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf aired on PBS's American Playhouse series on February 16, 1982, directed by Oz Scott. The production retained the choreopoem's fusion of poetry, music, and movement, featuring a cast that included Alfre Woodard as the lady in orange, Lynn Whitfield as the lady in red, and others such as Trazana Beverley and Laurie Carlos, who brought intensity to the monologues through close-up cinematography that amplified individual emotional expressions for a broadcast audience.^[34] ^[43] This format shift from live theater to television emphasized visual intimacy via edited sequences and lighting, diverging from the original's ensemble stage dynamics while preserving Shange's raw linguistic and performative structure.^[34] The 1982 telecast received positive viewer response, evidenced by an 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from aggregated user reviews praising its faithful conveyance of Black women's narratives.^[34] Critics noted its success in adapting the work's poetic essence for home viewing without diluting the themes of trauma and resilience, though specific viewership figures remain undocumented in public records.^[34] Beyond the PBS version, stage variants have emerged in educational and experimental contexts, including student-led productions at universities that condense the choreopoem for classroom or campus performances to focus on select monologues for accessibility. Some contemporary stagings incorporate modern elements, such as the 2020 "For Colored Girls: A RemiX" production blending the original text with remixed musical and performative styles to engage younger audiences.^[44] These adaptations prioritize brevity or stylistic fusion over the full original runtime, often for community theaters or workshops, but maintain the core emphasis on personal testimonies without altering Shange's foundational scripts.^[44]

2010 Film Adaptation

Tyler Perry directed, wrote, and produced the 2010 film adaptation of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, transforming the original choreopoem into an interconnected narrative centered on nine women facing personal traumas.^[45] Released on November 5, 2010, by Lionsgate Films, the movie features an ensemble cast portraying characters identified by colors, including Janet Jackson as Blue, Whoopi Goldberg as Yellow, Kimberly Elise as Purple, Loretta Devine as Brown, Thandiwe Newton as Orange, and Phylicia Rashad as Green.^[45] Produced on a budget of $21 million, the film was primarily shot in Atlanta, Georgia, at Tyler Perry Studios, despite its New York City setting.^[46] ^[47] It grossed $37.7 million domestically and $38 million worldwide, opening in 2,127 theaters to $19.5 million in its first weekend.^[47] Perry's screenplay interweaves Shange's monologues into a linear plot, introducing male characters—such as abusive partners and fathers—absent from the all-female stage production, and incorporates explicit depictions of violence, including a graphic rape scene and domestic abuse.^[48] ^[49] The adaptation employs visual symbolism tied to the rainbow motif, with characters' attire and environments reflecting their assigned colors to evoke the original's poetic essence.^[50] However, reviewers criticized Perry's approach for imposing a melodramatic, soap-opera style that amplified emotional confrontations and reduced the source material's linguistic and performative subtlety.^[51] ^[48] A soundtrack album, featuring original score and songs inspired by the film, was released concurrently.

Reception and Analysis

Initial Critical Praise

The original off-Broadway premiere of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf in June 1976 at The Public Theater elicited praise for its fusion of poetry, music, and dance in depicting Black women's resilience amid trauma. A New York Times review lauded the work's evocation of "black sisterhood" through vivid, non-linear monologues that captured intimate struggles with authenticity and rhythmic intensity.^[52] Following its transfer to Broadway on September 15, 1976, at the Booth Theatre, critics continued to commend the production's innovative choreopoem structure and emotional rawness. The New York Times characterized it as a "remarkable evening of theater" that had evolved into a polished yet visceral exploration of personal and collective healing.^[53] The play's acclaim was formalized through the Obie Award for Distinguished Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award, affirming its breakthrough in form and thematic depth.^[20] ^[54] Its 746-performance Broadway run underscored commercial viability and audience draw, with reports of packed houses reflecting resonance among Black female viewers who connected to the monologues' unflinching realism.^[55] The 2010 film adaptation directed by Tyler Perry extended this positive reception, securing NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Phylicia Rashad).^[56] ^[57] Contemporary accounts noted the film's role in reintroducing Shange's narratives to broader audiences, emphasizing its fidelity to the source's focus on survival and self-affirmation.^[58]

Academic and Cultural Interpretations

Scholars have interpreted for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf as a foundational text in Black feminist theory, emphasizing its portrayal of intersectional oppressions faced by Black women through non-linear monologues that blend poetry, music, and dance to assert collective survival.^[8] The work's structure privileges individual testimonies of trauma—from domestic violence to reproductive loss—framed as acts of linguistic and corporeal resistance against patriarchal and racial domination, predating formal articulations of intersectionality by highlighting how race, gender, and class compound personal suffering.^[59] This approach underscores resilience not as passive endurance but as active self-reclamation, where characters reject victimhood by naming their experiences and forging communal bonds onstage.^[60] Academic analyses often draw parallels to contemporaneous works like Alice Walker's The Color Purple (1982), both of which center Black women's inner lives amid systemic abuse, though Shange's choreopoem prioritizes performative embodiment over narrative prose to evoke embodied agency.^[61] In gender studies, the text has been extensively referenced for its disruption of Eurocentric feminist paradigms, with scholars citing its role in validating Black female subjectivity against white liberal feminism's elision of racial specificity.^[62] Quantitative metrics, such as its invocation in thousands of peer-reviewed articles on JSTOR since 1976, reflect its enduring influence in dissecting power dynamics within Black communities.^[63] From a causal realist perspective, the monologues delineate personal agency—such as choices in relationships and self-healing—against structural constraints, yet some interpretations critique an overreliance on collective pathology that marginalizes Black men as irredeemable antagonists, potentially sidelining familial and cultural factors like unstable household structures in perpetuating cycles of dysfunction.^[64] Critics like Peter Erskine argue this focus risks reinforcing divisive gender binaries within Black liberation discourse, attributing relational breakdowns more to inherent male aggression than to bidirectional agency or socioeconomic disruptions.^[64] Such deconstructions urge a balanced reckoning with individual accountability alongside institutional barriers, avoiding narratives that essentialize trauma without empirical scrutiny of contributing personal behaviors.^[65]

Criticisms and Controversies

Portrayals of Gender and Race Dynamics

The choreopoem presents Black men predominantly through the lens of female victims' monologues, depicting them as absent fathers, abusers, and predators, as in the "latent rapists" sequence where the lady in orange asserts that "every woman/man has a latent rapist in him," extending culpability to acquaintances who enable or dismiss assaults by known perpetrators rather than strangers.^[12]^[66] Other vignettes, such as "a nite with beau willie brown," portray male partners as violently unstable, culminating in child murder, while emphasizing women's isolation without counterbalancing male perspectives or accountability narratives.^[3] Such characterizations have drawn criticism for one-sidedness, with observers noting that the work wounds Black male audiences by reducing them to archetypal villains, potentially perpetuating external stereotypes of dysfunction rather than fostering internal communal solutions.^[67] Black intellectuals have argued this reinforces narratives that excuse female agency in partner selection or relational patterns, echoing broader conservative analyses of cultural decay in family structures where out-of-wedlock births and single motherhood correlate with higher instability, though Shange's text omits these causal layers.^[64] Empirical data partially aligns with the play's experiential claims, as Black women report elevated intimate partner violence rates: approximately 43.7% lifetime prevalence of severe physical violence by partners, compared to 34.5% for white women, per Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys, and Black females comprising 29.9% of intimate partner homicide victims despite being 13.6% of the population.^[68]^[69] However, this asymmetry overlooks bidirectional dysfunction, including higher male victimization in Black communities and socioeconomic factors like poverty driving mutual aggression, which feminist interpretations defend as "experiential truth" from marginalized voices but risk sidelining data-driven accountability for all parties.^[70]^[71] Academic defenses often prioritize intersectional testimony over balanced etiology, reflecting institutional preferences for narrative over aggregate evidence.^[72]

Adaptation-Specific Debates

Critics of Tyler Perry's 2010 film adaptation contended that its imposition of a conventional linear plot and amplified emotional melodrama undermined the abstract, non-narrative essence of Ntozake Shange's choreopoem, transforming poetic vignettes into a more conventional dramatic structure ill-suited to the source material's experimental form.^[73] NPR arts editor Trey Graham highlighted the challenges in adapting the play's fluid, monologue-driven format to cinema, suggesting Perry's approach risked losing the original's rhythmic, performative power in favor of Hollywood accessibility.^[73] Similarly, critic Hilton Als argued that Perry's work, including this adaptation, tends to simplify and commodify Black experiences, flattening complex emotional landscapes into sentimental tropes.^[74] The film's reception reflected these fidelity concerns, earning a 31% approval rating from 106 critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with detractors citing its uneven blend of stage poetry and screen sentimentality as evidence of Perry's overreach beyond his typical comedic territory.^[75] Reviews in outlets like Variety described it as an advance for Perry but a step back in capturing the source's depth, emphasizing how added narrative connective tissue diluted Shange's raw, fragmented testimonies.^[48] Debates also centered on representational choices, including the casting of actresses spanning various skin tones and the film's heightened melodrama, which some viewed as reinforcing the "strong Black woman" archetype as one of perpetual victimhood and resilience without the choreopoem's subversive linguistic nuance or agency-focused abstraction.^[76] Academic analyses, such as those examining Perry's oeuvre, noted how characters like Janet Jackson's Jo echoed "angry Black woman" dynamics, potentially perpetuating stereotypes through victim-centered plots rather than the original's celebratory reclamation of voice.^[77] Proponents countered that the adaptation's commercial framework enhanced accessibility, exposing Shange's themes of trauma and survival to broader audiences via theatrical release and star power, including a White House screening that underscored its cultural reach despite artistic compromises.^[78] While accused of commercializing intimate Black women's narratives by prioritizing emotional catharsis over poetic subtlety, defenders argued this mass-market approach fulfilled Shange's intent to amplify marginalized voices, even if imperfectly, outweighing purist objections in impact.^[78]

Legacy and Impact

Influence on Theater and Literature

Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf, premiered in 1976, introduced the choreopoem form, which integrates poetry, dance, music, and spoken narrative to convey nonlinear stories of Black women's experiences.^[24] This innovation expanded theatrical boundaries by prioritizing embodied expression over traditional plot and dialogue, influencing experimental Black theater practices.^[16] The work's structure, blending rhythmic language with physical movement, directly shaped subsequent artists, including Suzan-Lori Parks, who credited Shange's approach in her own Pulitzer Prize-winning plays that experiment with form and Black female subjectivity.^[79] The choreopoem's emphasis on collective female voices fostered growth in female-led Black theater ensembles, inspiring playwrights to center unapologetic narratives of race and gender. Anna Deavere Smith, who first encountered the production in 1976, drew from its monologic intensity in developing verbatim theater techniques that capture marginalized voices through performance poetry and gesture.^[79] Shange's Obie Award-winning script (1977) modeled this for a cohort of Black women writers, amplifying troupes focused on intersectional storytelling and reducing reliance on male-dominated dramatic conventions.^[80] In literature, the piece elevated spoken-word poetry by demonstrating its viability as dramatic literature, with Shange's vivid, idiomatic verse influencing open-mic traditions and performance genres that prioritize oral rhythm and personal testimony.^[81] Its monologues, recited by women identified by color rather than name, provided a template for poetic explorations of trauma and resilience, cited in scholarly analyses of Black feminist poetics and echoed in later works blending verse with stage action.^[82]

Ongoing Relevance and Performances

In the 2020s, productions of for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf have continued in regional theaters, universities, and revivals, reflecting sustained interest in its poetic exploration of Black women's experiences. A Broadway revival directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown opened in 2022, marking her directing debut and drawing on contemporary movement to reinterpret Shange's choreopoem.^[83] In November 2025, Cleveland Public Theatre presented the work, emphasizing its dramatic monologues amid ongoing discussions of gender-based violence.^[84] University stagings, such as Howard University's Department of Theatre Arts production in April 2025, have integrated it into educational curricula, often adapting choreography and delivery to resonate with younger performers and audiences.^[85] The play's themes of sexual assault, abandonment, and emotional survival have found echoes in the #MeToo movement, with recent interpretations framing its monologues as precursors to public reckonings with trauma. Directors have updated staging to highlight survivor agency, as seen in 2019 analyses noting its role in "public naming" of Black women's pain as a form of collective healing.^[86] However, these adaptations face scrutiny for reinforcing essentialist views of Black women as defined primarily by victimhood, potentially overlooking individual resilience and systemic changes since the 1970s.^[87] Grassroots endurance is evident in digital metrics, including YouTube performances of key monologues like "keep your sorry," which have amassed hundreds of thousands of views, signaling organic sharing among viewers drawn to its raw oratory.^[88] The 1982 television adaptation, featuring performers reciting Shange's poems, maintains visibility through online clips exceeding 100,000 views, though comprehensive streaming data remains limited.^[89] While the work retains appeal in demographics experiencing persistent interpersonal violence and relational instability, critics argue it underemphasizes measurable societal progress, such as the U.S. teen birth rate's 78% decline from 61.8 per 1,000 females aged 15-19 in 1991 to 13.6 in 2021, attributable to improved contraceptive access and education.^[90] This tension underscores a causal divide: the play's cathartic focus on unhealed wounds sustains relevance where trauma endures, yet risks stasis by sidelining evidence of reduced vulnerabilities in areas like unintended adolescent pregnancies.^[91]

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Beverley's Broadway debut came in 1976, when she appeared in the original production of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf ...
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For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the ... - IMDb
Rating 8.1/10 (91) For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Episode aired Feb 23, 1982; 1h 18m. IMDb RATING. 8.1/10. 91. YOUR RATING. Rate. Alfre ...
[35]
The History of FOR COLORED GIRLS... and its Journey on Stage ...
Apr 24, 2022 · for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is ... The original Broadway production was nominated for two Tony ...
[36]
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow ...
Camille A. Brown Will Make Broadway Directorial Debut With For Colored Girls... For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf Revival ...
[37]
A revival of 'for colored girls' feels fit for 2019 - Andscape
Nov 11, 2019 · Shortly after Shange died at age 70 in October 2018, the Public Theater announced it would revive her most well-known work. for colored girls ...
[38]
EU in Kenya on Instagram: "“For colored girls who have considered ...
Nov 24, 2023 · “For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf” Get your ticket - Kenyan actresses take you on an unforgettable journey ...Missing: tours | Show results with:tours
[39]
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is ...
Oct 24, 2024 · A ground-breaking work in modern American theatre by Ntozake Shange, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is ...
[40]
Rapid Fire 20Q with director and cast members of 'For Colored Girls ...
Oct 18, 2024 · Rapid Fire 20Q with director and cast members of 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf'; Opening Circle ...<|separator|>
[41]
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is ...
Productions; For Colored Girls... for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf. for-colored-girls-website-banner. by Ntozake Shange
[42]
Black women struggle and triumph in 'for colored girls...' at 2nd Star ...
Feb 9, 2025 · 2nd Star Productions' performance of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf is a poetic depiction of Black women's struggles ...Missing: international | Show results with:international
[43]
American Playhouse - Wikipedia
February 16, 1982 (1982-02-16). 7, "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf", Oz Scott · Ntozake Shange, based on her stage ...<|separator|>
[44]
Full cast & crew - IMDb
"American Playhouse" For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf (TV Episode 1982) - Cast and crew credits, including actors, ...
[45]
@fadumamohameds in For Colored Girls: A RemiX Today at 2:00pm ...
58 likes, 2 comments - motionlive on October 3, 2020: "@fadumamohameds in For Colored Girls: A RemiX Today at 2:00pm @blackartndialog bio for the link".
[46]
For Colored Girls (2010) - IMDb
Rating 6.3/10 (8,460) For Colored Girls: Directed by Tyler Perry. With Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Thandiwe Newton. Each of the women portray one of the ...
[47]
'For Colored Girls' Filmed in Georgia - Southern Outdoor Cinema
Sep 11, 2014 · 'For Colored Girls' is set in New York City but was mainly filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Tyler Perry has his own production studio, Tyler Perry Studios.
[48]
For Colored Girls (2010) - Box Office and Financial Information
Opening Weekend: $19,497,324 (51.7% of total gross). Legs: 1.94 (domestic box office/biggest weekend). Domestic Share: 99.2% (domestic box office/worldwide).
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For Colored Girls - Variety
Oct 22, 2010 · A cycle of poetic monologues about abuse, abortion and other issues facing modern black women, rather than a traditional narrative.
[50]
For Colored Girls: When the Men Are Not Enuf - Ms. Magazine
Nov 7, 2010 · It was also the first time that women writers aired the dirty laundry about sexism, violence and abuse suffered at the hands of black men, our ...
[51]
Review: "For Colored Girls," Tyler Perry's best film, an uneasy mix of ...
Nov 6, 2010 · A hit at New York's Public Theatre and produced onstage at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre in its 1979-80 season, Shange's work is not a traditional ...<|separator|>
[52]
For Colored Girls: Film Review - The Hollywood Reporter
Oct 21, 2010 · The Bottom Line Tyler Perry utterly butchers Ntozake Shange's theatrical tone poem to black female identity.
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Stage: Black Sisterhood Ntozake Shange's Tor Colored Girls' Opens ...
Jun 2, 1976 · The play, the evening, whatever, is called “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf.” In a sense the title tells ...
[54]
Stage: 'Colored Girls' Evolves - The New York Times
Sep 16, 1976 · September 16, 1976 ... Shange's remarkable evening of theater, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf.
[55]
Ntozake Shange | The Poetry Foundation
... For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1975) ... ” The play received an Obie Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and ...
[56]
Shange's For Colored Girls . . . Presents the Black Female Psyche
Shange began to develop her choreopoem in San Francisco's coffeehouses, bars, and studios, improvising with five female poets and dancers, seeking first to ...Missing: origins | Show results with:origins
[57]
"For Colored Girls" Wins Big at NAACP Image Awards | News - BET
Mar 7, 2011 · For Colored Girls” took home three NAACP awards Friday, including honors for best picture, director, and supporting actress.
[58]
'For Colored Girls' wins for best film at NAACP Image Awards
Mar 4, 2011 · Tyler Perry's drama “For Colored Girls” was named best film of 2010 Friday evening at the NAACP Image Awards. The film also won outstanding ...
[59]
"For Colored Girls", Perry win big at Image Awards | Reuters
Director and writer Tyler Perry was the big winner at the NAACP's Image Awards on Friday, winning top awards for his movie "For Colored Girls" and best TV ...
[60]
[PDF] Black Feminist Discourse of Power in For Colored Girls Who Have ...
This paper discusses for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf by. Ntozake Shange, an African American female playwright. Shange ...
[61]
Embracing Resilience: The Voices of Self-Determination, Healing ...
Abstract： This article aims to investigate the motif of self-determination of hope and healing from the humiliated and oppressed women in For Colored ...
[62]
Analysis of Ntozake Shange's Plays - Literary Theory and Criticism
May 19, 2019 · The semiautobiographical work tells the story of a thirteenyear- old African American girl growing up in a middle-class household in 1950's St.<|separator|>
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Black Women's Lives Matter - jstor
With for colored girls, Shange helped establish a framework for critical essays that captured the distinctiveness of black feminism and the power and joy of ...
[64]
The Sociological Significance of Black Feminist Thought - jstor
Ntozake Shange's 1978 choreopoem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide, are both bold statements of the necessity for Black female self-definition ...
[65]
[PDF] ntozake shange's for colored girls: black men and the
Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls has been considered to be a feminist play that focuses on issues of black women in detriment of black men. Peter Erskine ( ...Missing: citations | Show results with:citations
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Experimental Language Deconstructing Patriarchal Discourse in ...
Experimental Language Deconstructing Patriarchal Discourse in Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf.
[67]
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow ...
Sep 16, 2018 · Shange foreshadows the harsh content of “latent rapists” with the stage direction right before it, asking the 7 actresses to react as if they ...
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'For Colored Girls' Counts On Fans, Not Critics - NPR
Nov 5, 2010 · Carter says that given the myriad traumas addressed in For Colored Girls, it's definitely not a date movie. ... "Date rape still happens; domestic ...
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[PDF] Female Victims of Violence - Bureau of Justice Statistics
Black females historically have experienced intimate partner violence at rates higher than white females. • In 2008, Hispanic and non-Hispanic females ...
[70]
Notes from the Field: Intimate Partner Homicide Among Women - CDC
Aug 29, 2024 · The median victim age was 38 years; 49.3% were non-Hispanic White (White), 29.9% were non-Hispanic Black or African American, (Black), 14.8% ...
[71]
Black Feminist Discourse of Power in For Colored Girls Who Have ...
This paper discusses black feminist discourse of power in Ntozake Shange's choreopoem For Colored Girls Who have considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.
[72]
[PDF] Domestic Violence in Communities of Color | JBWS
Approximately 4 out of every 10 women of non-‐Hispanic Black race/ethnicity have experienced rape, physical violence, and /or stalking by an intimate partner.10.
[73]
Shange's Men: For Colored Girls Revisited, and Movement Beyond
on, as Ntozake Shange's signature characterization of the black male in for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf (1976). An ...
[74]
Critical Mass: Bob Mondello, Trey Graham On 'For Colored Girls ...
Nov 4, 2010 · Film critic Bob Mondello and NPR.org arts editor Trey Graham talk about Tyler Perry's adaptation For Colored Girls, and about its transition ...
[75]
Hilton Als: Tyler Perry Simplifies, Commodifies Black Life - NPR
May 12, 2010 · ... For Colored Girls Who've Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enough." But Tyler Perry's box office success has earned him the ire of a ...
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For Colored Girls | Rotten Tomatoes
Rating 31% (106) A group of black women, most of whom live in the same Harlem apartment building, faces personal crises, heartbreak and other challenges.
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As Brief as I Could Movie Review: "For Colored Girls" - Dr. Nikki Lane
Nov 7, 2010 · This film offered was an uncomfortable view of ourselves on screen: a tortured, emotional, and deeply unsettling view of ourselves.Missing: overemphasis pathology family structure
[78]
Representations of African American Womanhood in Tyler Perry Films
Perry's film For Colored Girls presents his angry black bitch in the character Jo, played by Janet Jackson. In the original choreopoem, “lady in red” represents ...
[79]
Why So Much Fury Over 'For Colored Girls'? - NPR
Nov 18, 2010 · Tyler Perry's film "For Colored Girls" has received widespread criticism and praise. Even the White House had a screening.Missing: community | Show results with:community
[80]
Seven Flames Kindled by the Focused Fire of Ntozake Shange
Nov 1, 2018 · Bolstered by an Obie Award and a Tony nomination for best play, it entered the canon. ... Ntozake Shange, Who Wrote 'For Colored Girls,' Is Dead ...
[81]
for colored girls: the 40-year-old masterwork that's still captivating ...
May 11, 2022 · A Strange Loop, Six and The Music Man have all been nominated for Tony awards ... To reduce for colored girls to a play is an oft-repeated mistake ...
[82]
Rest in Power: For Ntozake Shange, Who Moved Us to the Ends of ...
Nov 5, 2018 · Shange's potent words remain eternal. Her legacy can be felt in every truth-telling spoken word poetry on open-mic nights, in the passionate ...
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Paying Homage to Ntozake Shange - Court Theatre
Mar 11, 2019 · Shange's fury and insight brought fire, drama, and excitement to the stage and has been voiced by others, particularly black, female playwrights.
[84]
Camille A. Brown To Direct & Choreograph 'For Colored Girls ... - IMDb
Brown will make her Broadway directing debut with a 2022 production of Ntozake Shange's 1976 classic for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the ...
[85]
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow ...
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf ... Presented by Cleveland Public Theatre at Cleveland Public Theatre. Nov 01, 2025 ...
[86]
Howard - Join the Department of Theatre Arts' production of for ...
Join the Department of Theatre Arts' production of for colored girls ... 2025 @ 7:30pm Saturday, April 19, 2025 @ 7:30pm ... North Shore High School Cleveland.<|separator|>
[87]
What Ntozake Shange's for colored girls Means in the Age of #MeToo
Nov 25, 2019 · For colored girls is so much more than a litany of Black women's suffering. It is an insistence that public naming and seeing ourselves in each other can lead ...
[88]
40-year-old 'For Colored Girls' still relevant — unfortunately
Sep 21, 2018 · “For Colored Girls” tells women's stories through poetry and movement. It's the story of a fight for fundamental human rights.
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Keep your sorry | For Colored Girls - YouTube
Apr 23, 2019 · Keep your sorry | For Colored Girls. 589K views · 6 years ago ...more. Kamohelo Mahloko. 749. Subscribe. 9.3K. Share.
[90]
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow ...
Jul 26, 2017 · For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1982) Comedy, Drama, Romance. 122K views · 8 years ago ...more ...Missing: streaming | Show results with:streaming
[91]
About Teen Pregnancy | Reproductive Health - CDC
May 15, 2024 · The US teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years) has declined 78% from 1991 to 2021. Teen birth rates declined from 15 births ...
[92]
The 30-Year Decline in Teen Birth Rates Has Accelerated Since 2010
Dec 23, 2022 · The decline has accelerated in the past decade: Teen birth rates dropped 20 percent from 1990 to 2000, 28 percent from 2000 to 2010, and 55 ...<|control11|><|separator|>