By Mamus Ngeseyan

Senior Monica Black and Junior Tafadzwa Chihanga will be performing Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” May 1 and 2 in Goddard auditorium.

“For Colored Girls” has received an Obie Award, Outer Circle Critics Award, AUDELCO Award, as well as Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award nominations. Furthermore, described as “extraordinary” and “wonderful” by the New York Times.

Eight young women are putting together the performance. There are no dominating male characters or roles in this collection of 20 poems drawn from Shange’s own experiences. All the women performing are women of color, in varying academic fields, from different backgrounds and cultures.

Even though one might think that this play is only about black woman, according to Shange there is definitely something more to it than the dialect of the words or the nature of the experiences conveyed.

In an interview with CNN Shange said, “I like women in general, women of color in particular, to feel pride and dignity and joy and fullness that we’re capable of.” While acknowledging the role and value of women, her intent is not to subjugate the male presence but do enlighten and bring him closer to a woman’s world.

“I guess what I look forward to men drawing from my work is the strength, virility and the comedy of the women they are surrounded by,” she said.

Shange was born in Trenton, N.J. on Oct. 18, 1948. Her birth name was Paulette Williams, which she changed in 1971. Williams attended Barnard College, where she attempted to commit suicide several times.

It was during this time that she changed her name to Ntozake, meaning “she who comes with her own things” in Xhosa, and Shange meaning “she who walks like a lion” in Zulu. Both languages are native to tribes in South Africa.

Despite her numerous attempts to commit suicide, Shange graduated cum laude with a degree in American Studies. She continued her education at the University of Southern California, where she earned a master’s degree in American Studies in 1973.

Chihanga, who is co-directing the play with Black, noted despite what some may see as an unstable past, Shange’s experiences contribute a wealth of knowledge that adds to the authenticity of the voices portrayed in the performance.

Shange has written nine plays, of which “For Colored Girls” has been the most well-received and praised. The choreopoem was published in 1975, and first produced in New York City at Studio Riobea, with subsequent productions Off-Broadway at the Anspacher Public Theatre and on Broadway later in 1976.

Another distinguished African-American writer, Toni Cade Bambara talked about Shange’s work as “[celebrating] the capacity to master pain and betrayals with wit, sister-sharing, reckless daring, and flight and forgetfulness if necessary. She celebrates most of all women’s loyalties to women.”

The support and encouragement that the eight young female performers give each other during rehearsals is a testament to Bambara’s words.

Senior Brit Winston, one of the students participating, believes this performance offers her an opportunity to do something she has never done before, outside her usual interests and activities.

“What is most challenging for me is actually having to interpret it, imagine it and most importantly feel it. I also see some relations to my father in some of the men that are depicted in the monologues,” said Winston.

“For Colored Girls” is currently being studied in African American Literature, a class instructed by Assistant Professor of English Joann Quinones.

This is an important venue for discussing the work because, according to Winston, “a concrete thinker would not be able to understand [‘For Colored Girls’] the first time round.”

For Chihanga the play contains a little something for everyone who has had an experience in which they learned something new about themselves.

“There are several voices and experiences so the audience is not limited to connecting with one single experience or voice for that matter,” she said.

After working closely withWinston, as well as Aisha Abdul-Haqq, Tinisha Newland, Melissa Barnes, Nadia Robinson and Hlengiwe Moloi, Chihanga noted, “The audience can expect fun, a rainbow of emotions, comedy, hate, love and passion. Basically, a rollercoaster ride with a happy ending.”

The performance, taking place in Goddard Auditorium May 1 and 2, will be free of charge and open to the Richmond community as well. There will be an age restriction of 17 and above due to the maturity of the content in the performance.

For any further details contact, Monica Black at mfblack06@earlham.edu or Tafadzwa Chihanga at tchiha07@earlham.edu.