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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2011 > September > 06 > Entry
Review: ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf’
In the beginning, there were stories. And these stories were passed from generation to generation by bards, troubadours, and any number of oral historians, who told their tales without set, without props — with nothing but the words and the sound of their voice to carry the message. And in these recitations, the magic of theater was born.
Under the direction of Zell Miller, UpRise! Productions and Vortex Repertory Company recapture this essential and unembellished magic with their production of Ntozake Shange’s classic choreopoem, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” playing through Saturday at the Vortex.
Very much an ensemble piece, “For Colored Girls” melds dance, poetry, and music to convey evocative fragments of the female experience. Dealing with issues of love and abandonment, rape and abortion, the play is still relevant 35 years after its first performance, striking chords with women of all colors and backgrounds.
Miller’s performers are clearly in sync with each other and the script itself, giving rhythm and nuance to each story. The male director proves how much can be done with no set and no costumes, how powerful a story can be when we’re forced to listen to what’s being said.
Sadé Jones’ robust and expressive dancing provides a lyrical background for many of the women’s monologues. With the bold movements of her body, she keeps the performance in motion, helping us visualize the actions and emotions that the women describe. And when her monologue comes in the second act, she proves that her voice is equally captivating.
The excellent sound design situates “For Colored Girls” in time, demonstrating a keen awareness of the mood and the period of each monologue. It brings cohesion to stories that span decades, smoothly fitting the pieces together.
This can also be said of the production’s internal music (the women’s singing during various moments), which connects their words and movement to the emotional rhythms of the play.
As the Lady in Red, slam poet and actress Ebony Stewart glides into the linguistic cadences of her monologues, mesmerizing us with her smooth and assertive recital.
“For Colored Girls” builds to a stunning conclusion, thanks in no small part to Patrick Anthony’s lighting. It ends with Stewart beginning the mantra that gets at the heart of the play’s message of female empowerment: “I found God in myself/and I loved her/I loved her fiercely.”
“For Colored Girls” continues at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Tickets $10-$30. Thursday 2-for-1 tickets with donation of non-perishable food items. Vortex Theater 2307 Manor Road. www.vortexrep.org.
Cate Blouke is an American-Statesman freelance arts critic.
Photo by Aisha White.
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