Rainbows, Suicide and Women

February 18, 2008

Art in motion is the only way to describe the recent production of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” by Virginia Commonwealth University Theatre Department.

“It’s a work of art come to life,” says freshman Carla Joseph, a theatre performance major at VCU and the ticket collector for the show. She said audience members should expect a “broad perspective of lives” with each one telling their story.

Stepping into Hodges Theatre in the Performing Arts Building located on Park Ave the set seems to have a life of its own. The drapes are highlighted with different colored lights to set the mood, and the stage was hand crafted with different levels, and a circular abstract setup.

Before the show began the audience was treated to music from the 60s and 70s, including Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” which many audience members sang along with. The audience was alive and ready to be entertained and interact with the show.

The play, by Ntozake Shange, is about the journeys of colored women and their struggles to find out who they are and what their purpose in life is. The progression starts with a girl, 16, in 1955 in St. Louis and follows her all the way to womanhood.

“In general, a really good show…unique,” says freshman Joey Reynolds, a lighting design major at VCU.

A total of thirteen girls dance and sing on stage, and tell their stories. They bring up issues like abortion, abuse, and heartbreak, resulting in a show that any woman can relate to.

The Lady in Purple, played by junior Felisha Barnes, tells of being raped, and feeling too ashamed to tell anyone. She invited a man into her house for dinner, into her territory. The night went wrong and he raped her, and couldn’t explain that to anyone.

The Lady in Blue, played by junior Olisa Enrico, tells how you can’t take away her memories of her life. They are her memories and she remembers them they way they were, and no one can take that from her.

The journeys of these women are uplifting and every girl who sees this show can see themselves in these people and are given a message by their acting on the stage.

With so many shows going on around campus, most students don’t even know about them. They spend time placing flyers everywhere around campus, but most students don’t realize that they are there.

According to Cyndi Wontrop, a freshman light-design major who worked on the show, the advertising aspect of all shows needs work. They have posters all around campus and the VCU TelegRams announce the upcoming shows, but not many students read them. VCU Theatre has a really good reputation and many members of the community come to the shows, according to Wontrop.

Wontrop enjoys being part of the productions at VCU. With her major she is required to do something for each production that is put on. She has no free time during the productions and doesn’t see much of the outside of the theatre. But she enjoys her job as the spot light operator on the show. She was also an electrician for the show and hung and focused most of the lights.

The show ran from February 15^th through 24^th. But, starting on April 10^th, VCU Theatre will be performing their big spring musical, Cabaret. Go out and support VCU Theatre!