Tuesday at 7pm Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm Sunday at 3pm
In Ntozake Shange's powerful mid-'70s "choreo-poem," a group of African-Americans dramatizes the struggles and journey toward self respect experienced by black women in America.
This version of for colored girls truly does feel like a choreopoem, Shange's term for her amalgamation of words, motion and music. (The percussive original score is by Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby). The seven women on stage are barefoot, and their movement-which draws on African-American traditions including juba, stepping and social dance-feels organic, natural and triumphant. 'Sechita,' performed and signed by Lady in Purple (the amazing Alexandria Wailes) and spoken by Lady in Orange (Amara Granderson), conjures a seductive Creole carnival worker dancing for dust-covered rednecks; we can almost see this mythical woman 'catchin stars tween her toes.'
This revival of 'for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf' is one link in a chain of productions re-introducing the work of our titans - Alice Childress, Adrienne Kennedy and more - to modern audiences. Only Shange's work has been on Broadway before, first premiering at the Booth Theatre, where the revival is currently playing, in 1976. It remains a seminal, sacred text; one I've been able to recite phrases from for the better half of my life. This revival, by director and choreographer Camille A. Brown, is the most essential production of Shange's masterwork to date.
| 1976 | Off-Broadway |
Original Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
| 1976 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 1976 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
| 1979 | West End |
London Production West End |
| 1980 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
| 2000 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 2000 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2019 | Off-Broadway |
Public Theater Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
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