March 15-24, 2024

Directed by Nancy Crouse

"for colored girls..." offers a transformative, riveting evening of provocative dance, music and poetry. Seven women, only identified by the color they are assigned, such as Lady in Red or Lady in Yellow, This groundbreaking "choreopoem" is a spellbinding collection of vivid prose and free verse narratives capturing the brutal, tender and dramatic lives of contemporary Black women.

NOTE: Mature language and subjects will be used. Viewer discretion is advised. All patrons, regardless of age must have a ticket for admittance.

For tickets call the Box Office at 314-921-5678 or order

for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf is a piece of work inspired by events of  Ntozake Shange's own life. Shange admitted publicly to having attempted suicide on four occasions. In a phone interview conducted with CNN, she explained how she came to the title of her choreopoem: "I was driving the No. 1 Highway in northern California and I was overcome by the appearance of two parallel rainbows. I had a feeling of near death or near catastrophe. Then I drove through the rainbow and I went away. Then I put that together to form the title."  The colors of the rainbow then became the essence of the women in the choreopoem.

Shange also explains that she chose to use the word "colored" in the title of her choreopoem so that her grandmother would be able to understand it

Filled with passion, humor, and raw honesty, legendary playwright/poet Ntozake Shange’s form-changing choreopoem tells the stories of seven women of color using poetry, song, and movement. With unflinching honesty and emotion, each woman voices her survival story of having to exist in a world shaped by sexism and racism.

featuring

LiloDenise Baker

Tanya M. Jones (TJ)

Amarachi Kulu

Anneliese Marie

Jasmine Pugh

Corrinna Redford

Chanel Sharpe

Areanna Shears