For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf

The life a black woman in this day and time was front and center as I watched 7 seven amazing sisters in “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.” The issues addressed in this production spokes about life and all that comes with it, sometimes on a daily basis. High School graduation, dancing and transformation to adulthood and all that comes with it.

The color of each performers dress I felt was very telling. Date rape, graduation party, black romantic relationships, sexual freedom the themes that were intertwined all through the production. The loss of children through abuse: How music was used as an additional character as well as self-expression. Music was also used as a form of release from difficulties.

There were many stages in the lives of these women in “for colored girls.” I’ve watched each stage emerge and materialize, some fun, some heartbreaking and some painful. Graduation is the right of passage. Abuse, domestic violence, racism, crowed cities with leering looks from men cause alienation and loneliness. This has a strong impact on their lives, with the need to be loved and how it’s received as well as perceived, who gives it and how its given. Friendships that turn into sisterhood and mentorships. “For colored girls” brings adolescence to full circle to womanhood with many stages in between. Many of these stages bring pain and also pleasure that can be hard to compartmentalize.

“For colored girls” with so many life issues that are more prevalent such as Lady In Yellow who contracted HIV from her man who said she cheated on him while he was in jail, though she was totally faithful. Then there is pain of the loss of a child. Beau, Crystals man, veteran and drug addict always said he would get clean if she would marry him which never happened. She tried to leave him and always found her. (Beau was very violent due to his PTSD from being in the Viet Nam war and his drug use. He always told Crystal he would get help and did okay for awhile and then relapsed). This scene Beau again asked Crystal to marry him with their children in his hands. To save her children Crystal said has to Beau’s question and as she whispered yes he dropped their children out the window to their death. The pain of losing a child. Lady in Red & Orange portrays and expressed this pain.

To me the most intriguing performance was the Lady in Green by the value she has in herself which she expounds on as “my stuff.” Her stuff is how she sits with her delicate legs sometimes open. Her fingernails chewed and her voice when she talks is rhythmic and has a flirtatious whimsical kiss and how a man took her stuff because she made to much room for him in her life.