for colored girls makes glorious return, sells out Commencement Weekend shows

Whether it was last Fall or this weekend, it's the same story: if you don't already have tickets, then you're out of luck. You're going to miss seeing one of the best productions to be mounted at Oberlin in recent memory. Following two packed nights of special preview performances earlier this week, the Theater and Dance department and the African American Studies Department present ntozake shange's play for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf, re-opening tonight and throughout the weekend for the Commencement crowd. And - no surprise - it's sold out.

The short but intense play is a wonderful piece, and the production truly does justice to the script. Blending song and dance with traditional stage technique, the evening is a rollercoaster ride of sorts. There are moments of pain and sorrow, of pride and shame, of humor and horror. The shifts between these emotions are sometimes abrupt, but the piece is suited to this quick pace, and the talented cast is able to sustain these shifts without a problem.

The play itself is very abstract and innovative. The women play a variety of characters, and slip in and out of different roles quickly. However, you are left feeling that they are also just being themselves. The actual substance of the piece revolves around different women's stories of their experiences as "colored girls." These stories range from the humorous to the painful, but the play itself is about hope, about loving life as a "colored girl."

The cast is very cohesive and very talented. Director Carolyn Jackson Smith should be commended for assembling such a strong cast and managing to coax from each of the women a fantastic and memorable performance. The play has no real "star;" every woman has her turn telling a story. The evening becomes an ensemble effort.

Perhaps the most heart-rending story is the one told at the end of the play, by a woman who loses everything at the hands of her husband. The actress, conservatory junior Annie Lee Moffett, was wonderful. Her tale made the audience cringe. Then, in beautiful contrast, the women join in a song, rise above the horrors of life to something more powerful: hope.

The evening is enhanced by the beautiful singing voices of all of the women. And there are some memorable acting moments by college junior Rashida Phillips, college sophomore Sheri Burnett, and college junior Adeola Oshodi.

But what is most impressive about this show is the incredible strength and sense of group endeavor. Everyone in this show, from the musicians (including a beautiful vocal performance by college sophomore Alexander Elisa) to college senior Vayram Nyadroh, who not only acts but also plays the cello, gives so much to the show that it is impossible for the audience not to feel affected. It is wonderful that the show has sold out so quickly - both last Fall and this week - as this is a piece which truly deserves to be seen.

for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf shows in Little Theater tonight and Saturday, May 23 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 24 at 7 p.m. with a matinee on Saturday at 2 p.m. All performances are sold out.

My love magic: for colored girls managed to sell out an entire Commencement Weekend of shows, plus pack in two full houses for preview performances earlier this week. (photo by Laren Rusin)