“These last few weeks working with this group of beautiful Black women and this amazing staff has healed me in ways I can't even put into words! We don't usually get opportunities like this. This is so much more than a show. It's poetry, it's art, it's truth, it's life!†–  excerpt from Brianna Gude-Price's director's note.Â
The final production in Springfield Theatre Centre's current season, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf, captures “the brutal, tender and dramatic lives of contemporary Black women.â€Â A chorepoem and groundbreaking 1974 work by Ntozake Shange, to call FCG compelling and provocative does not do it justice. Especially in today's climate, it's necessary viewing.Â
Directed by Brianna Gude-Price and Reggie Guyton with choreography by Mariah Brooks, costumes by Dr. Terry Whitt Bailey, lighting design by June Southwell and sound by Seth Hood, FCG is a bold kaleidoscope of light, music, dance, color and poetry, the subject of which is the often-disregarded human experiences of Black women.
The performers – Kisha Smith, Tiffany Williams, Tre'Anna Whitfield, India Pierce, Nicole Pedigo, Lakeia Crawford, Rayel Tasker, Talore Rowl and Zakiya Hill, alongside dancers Sydney Williams, Justyce Pillow and Nakyla Morgan – stitch together an unapologetic and vulnerable tapestry of monologues and movement. Relatable and real, each actor has their moment and each moment is transformational.
The characters don't have names – they wear colors that represent an emotion or tone, often enhanced by accessories that help identify their person or experience. I took very few notes while watching this show, I was so taken in. But the portrayals by these actors and the stories of these women were imprinted on me. I felt captivated, gutted and deeply moved.
For Gude-Price in her directorial debut, FCG has been a dream come true.
“This is a beautiful adaptation of culture and what it means to be a Black woman, and I never thought it would happen here,†she said.
Gude-Price hopes this production and putting its message out into the world will help inspire others, especially young Black girls. She praises the cast for their “willingness to go all-in on this empowering work and share their God-given talents.â€
For choreographer Mariah Brooks, herself a poet and a dancer, finding the groove of choreographing to poetry about generational trauma was a new but rewarding challenge.
“It involves so much of the actor's interpretation, and once they found their way with a piece, everything flowed from there,†she said.
Brooks, who was usually the only Black girl in her dance classes growing up, says it's been an honor to share this space and experience with other Black girls.
“This show is a teleportation via different mediums about forgotten stories that don't get talked about a lot. It's intense and uncomfortable and we need that sometimes,†she said.
One bit of writing and staging really stood out as a testament to the journeys of these women: “I couldn't stand being colored and sorry at the same time – because it was redundant.â€
In this moment, one of the women rejects subservience and reclaims her power as she is joined by all the other women onstage, who eventually form a rainbow. This is only one example of the heights the production rises to.
Co-director Reggie Guyton was quick to praise the cast and staff, especially longtime friend Gude-Price, for her vision and care taken with the production.
Calling FCG a “master class in empathy,†he said, “sharing these kinds of stories, you get personal real fast. There was a lot of trust established early on.â€
Poet Ntozake Shange once said of her trailblazing work: “I think this piece is my gift to women and girls forever and ever. It may not be all I have, but it's one solid thing I have to leave for girls and women around the world.â€
Much like a rainbow appearing after a storm, this production is also a gift – a symbol of hope, resilience and promise.
FCG ends with a declaration that echoes long after the final bows: “I found God in myself, and I loved her. I loved her fiercely.â€
I encourage others to consider making the time for this fierce and affirming experience.
Content warning: The play includes profanity including racial slurs, discussions about suicide, sexual assault, trauma and death.
For Colored Girls runs 90 minutes without an intermission and can been seen June 13-14 and 19-21 in the third floor Peggy Ryder Theater of the Hoogland Center for the Arts. After the June 14 matinee, there will be a talk-back with the audience. The Prairie Center for Sexual Assault Prevention will also be onsite with resources. Tickets are available at hcfta.org/tickets or 217-523-ARTS.Â
