Powerful FOR COLORED GIRLS praised by critics and audiences
Press throughout Chicago praise Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, with most critics unanimous in their decision to Highly Recommend the production. Audiences and critics alike agree that Seret Scott‘s direction and the work of the ensemble is powerful, moving, and compelling. See why Shange’s cherished work belongs in the canon of classic plays — get tickets to For Colored Girls.
“…the entire cast feels carefully curated. Rich inner lives reside in a public space. How stories are heard here is as important as how they are told, listening being both a rare and radical act.“
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, ★★★★ Highly Recommended
“This production makes clear exactly why “for colored girls…” skyrocketed to prominence: Shange’s dramatic sense of language that when performed feels so deeply evocative and true. Read the play, and it’s impressive but distant. Performed here, the language is urgent and real and consistently compelling. The performances are all terrific, filled with spunky individualism”
—Steven Oxman, Chicago Sun-Times, Highly Recommended
“It is impossible to overstate how talented this entire cast is… for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf is one of the top productions of this theater season. Shange’s words cradle you and linger long after the final curtain. Laugh, cry, and be soothed by the full and beautiful soulful voices.”
—Sheri Flanders, Chicago Reader, Highly Recommended
“The meld of fine performance and staging with Shange’s writing and concept are irresistible. The commitment of the cast was visible at the curtain call, with several of the performers in tears. The show obviously meant much to them personally as well as artistically. A most rewarding evening for everyone in the theater.”
—Dan Zeff, Chicagoland Theatre Reviews, ★★★★ Highly Recommended
“In Seret Scott’s searing and soaring production of For Colored Girls at Court Theatre, Shange’s words weave a tapestry of pain, defiance, joy and renewal, all delivered by a cast of eight women who not only occupy the space but reclaim it for Black women whose voices have been ignored or disparaged…Shange’s piece and Scott’s staging remind us that Black women in the United States have been fighting their own battles for centuries. It’s not their job to save us—but we damn well better start listening to them.”
—Kerry Reid, Windy City Times, Highly Recommended
“Even after forty years, this play still resonates profoundly with women and audience alike. It’s a magnificent story about the soul and depth of African American women who tell the unapologetic black truth….the ladies at Court Theater makes this version a MUST-SEE!”
—Rick and Brenda McCain, Chicago Now Let’s Play, Highly Recommended – Critics Pick
“There are many moments during the performance where the audience grew so quiet that it seemed like there were only eight women in the building… the girls on stage.”
—Shelly Berry and Scott Kirshenbaum, Chicago Theatre Review, Highly Recommended
“Sharply defined in terms of character, language and overall narrative drive. Scott and her highly individualistic cast of eight (including the balladeer who has been added to the usual cast of seven), has tapped into the verbal music of the play in a wholly fresh way.”
—Hedy Weiss, WTTW Chicago, Highly Recommended
Photo by Michael Brosilow.