for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf

A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  7w

This groundbreaking "choreopoem" is a spellbinding collection of vivid prose and free verse narratives about and performed by Black women. 


Image: 2019 Public Theater Production (Joan Marcus)

for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    7w
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Experimental
  • Suggested Use
    • Cutting Approved for Competition
    • Monologues
    • Scene Work
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Nominee: Seven 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play
    Winner! 1977 Obie Award for Distinguished Production
    Nominee: Two 1977 Tony Awards, including Best Play

Details

Summary
Capturing the brutal, tender and dramatic lives of contemporary Black women, for colored girls... offers a transformative, riveting evening of provocative dance, music and poetry.

History
After early performances in California and on the East Coast, for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf opened at the Henry Street Settlement in New York City in March 1976 and quickly moved moved off-Broadway to Joseph Papp's Public Theater. A few months later, the show made its Broadway debut, opening at the Booth Theatre on September 15, 1976.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Play with Music, Special Effects, Multimedia
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language

Media

“A poignant, gripping, angry and beautiful work.” – Time

"Their voices meld, their bodies tumble and tangle together. And sisterhood becomes a single hydra-headed, multitongued entity, invincible and indivisible. God help the man who dares to cross it.” – The New York Times

“A triumphant event, filled with humor. Pure theatre.” – New York Daily News

Videos

  • For Colored Girls... The Public Theater 2019 youtube thumbnail

    For Colored Girls... The Public Theater 2019

  • For Colored Girls... Montage youtube thumbnail

    For Colored Girls... Montage

  • The Legacy of For Colored Girls... youtube thumbnail

    The Legacy of For Colored Girls...

  • 1 "somebody/ anybody sing a black girl's song"  youtube thumbnail

    1 "somebody/ anybody sing a black girl's song"

  • For Colored Girls... Sacramento State Promo youtube thumbnail

    For Colored Girls... Sacramento State Promo

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Photos

  • for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf

    Image: 2019 Public Theater Production (Joan Marcus)

  • for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf

    Image: 2019 Public Theater Production (Joan Marcus)

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Orchestra Size Piano Only

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
  • Mandatory Music/Media Fee: £10 per performance

Music Rentals

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Scripts

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Authors

Ntozake Shange

Ntozake Shange

Ntozake Shange (1948-2018) was one of America’s greatest writers – an acknowledged master in the genres of drama, fiction, memoir and poetry. In a hugely prolific career, Shange wrote 15 plays, 19 poetry collections, 6 novels, 5 children’s books, 3 collections of essays, and ...

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