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

Ntozake Shange

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

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  • 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.
Keywords
Performing Groups
LADY IN RED
LADY IN BLUE
LADY IN PURPLE
LADY IN YELLOW
LADY IN ROSE
LADY IN GREEN
LADY IN ORANGE

  • 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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DIGITAL DELIVERY:
Lead sheet for "I Found God In Myself"

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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