When Ntozake Shange released her powerful book, For Colored Girls Only Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuff, did she know how powerful it would be? Did she know when she wrote this rich masterpiece, she would connect and touch people all over the world?
For Colored Girls Only has been acted and adapted numerous times on popular stages and nominated for various awards. Now prominent filmmaker Tyler Perry is gearing up for his November film release of this thought-provoking and emotional story. His star studded cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Janet Jackson, Kimberly Elise, Kerry Washington, Anika Nona Rose and Phylicia Rashad.
The story deals with various topics like rape, abandonment, abortion, love and domestic violence. The original structure of For Colored Girls was a series of poems delivered through a cast of seven women who were identified by a color. Each woman’s story depicts their account with the various subject and how it affects them. For example, the Lady in blue’s story tells about her decision with having an abortion and the lady in red deals with domestic violence. The glorious thing about each woman is they all end up in the same place at the end. A powerful “laying of hands” takes place and one of the characters recites a powerful mantra that displays the strength of womanhood.
If you haven’t read the book, I strongly suggest you read it. This is definitely a book to add to your collection. If you’ve read it before, pick up and re-read. It’s refreshing to know that this book is still relevant although it’s over thirty years old. The theme still applies to our current state of daily women’s issues.
Trailer for Tyler Perry’s movie, For Colored Girls
More reading on Ntzoke Shange and For Colored Girls Only click articles below:
Tyler Perry’s ‘For Colored Girls’ Gets Early Oscar Buzz
