Tyler Perry kind of missed the whole point with his film adaptation For Colored Girls. The power of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf draws its power from the raw intensity of narrative voices spoken directly into the air that an audience breathes. A decade and a half ago I saw the entire thing performed in a café in Riverwest and was completely floored. You just don’t get that kind of effect in any kind of film environment.
Those who want to see the piece in its originally intended state really should see it live in an intimate environment. Amir Ali’s For My People Productions presents an opportunity to see the original choreopoem this coming weekend.
For My People’s staging of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf runs April 15th – 17th at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center at 1531 West Vliet St. All threee performances are at 7pm. Tickets are $12 at the door or $10 in advance. For reservations, call 414-334-3411.
