A majority of critics have praised For Colored girls for its realism and honesty, and Cynthia Bily points that many have criticized the play for being too negative toward black men, but Shange has always attempted to direct the focus of the discussion back on the women. The play is about the experiences of black women, and how they come a long way to ‘be’ at the end. To insist on a “balanced” view of the men in their lives is to deny these women’s experiences. The play, Shange insists, does not accuse all black men of being abusive. These black women do not reject men or seeking a life without men. The women desire men and love them, and crave for that love to be returned.
“For Colored Girls” is comprised of seven women who represented a different shade of the rainbow. The colors are brown, red, yellow, white, green, orange and blue. Their costumes and make-up transformed each of them and were symbolic of the color their character embodied. The ensemble acting made all of their roles of equal importance, without one dominating the other. These women together formed a bond through their various adversities, gradually taking them from strangers to acquaintances. From an objective view, the audience is allowed to simply observe the events as they take place (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011, pg. 82) chronologically. Throughout the movie during some of the conflicting and traumatic scenes, one of the women recites a
Gates highlights that For colored girls is a film that makes a strong message of empowerment to the humanity of women. No matter how bad things could get in life and no matter how many times you’ve been brought down, always know you are strong enough to get back up and not let darkness conquer your life. This essay will explore how a person can overcome any kind of tragedy, hardship or struggle whether or not they are affected emotionally,
The first assumption, women being only concerned with trifling things, is seen beginning with line 120 where the men say:
The main character also treats girls of different races differently. He wrongly suggests that if a girl is white, that you will definitely get a hand job before the night is through, if not more (Diaz 235). He says that white girls are the girls everyone really wants to date, because they are easy. This is why he does many things that white boys do. He also says that not many white girls live in his neighborhood, that the locals tend to be brown girls, black girls, or halfies. This is probably because many of the white people are of a higher economic class then he is. If they are in a higher economic class then he is, this may
On October 10, 2017 I saw “Guys and Dolls”, at The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and it was astonishing.
They needed and deserved protection. African American women were wanton, licentious, promiscuous […] African American men were lustful beasts who could not be trusted in the company of ‘good’ women, white women. [4]
In this excerpt ZZ Packer clearly points out that the aversion the girls feel towards the whites is not based on their own experiences, but rather their families. According to their parents, dealing with “whites” was a problem every adult had to face. Lauren’s statement clearly exposes the young African-American girls’ lack of reasoning on racism, and thus portrays the parents as the responsible for the children’s behavior. Resentment on behalf of the parents did indeed have a huge impact in the brownies.
By expressing this with the African American society of women who are continuously torched by the demanding words of men, McLune appeals strongly to all American women’s intellect of equality and respect. Women should not have to be judged by men and expect to be treated as if they owe anyone something, let alone have to be mistreated and belittled, if that were to be the case then men should be treated the same, therefore McLune’s audience, should understand that that is not how you define a black woman in any terms.
is a piece of work written by Ntozake Shange. It is written in an unusual style
During this period in American history there were strong views held by the majority of society about how black women were supposed to conduct themselves. There was a strong patriarchal dominance over black women, with the subordinance of women being greatly influenced by the remnants of slavery. Since men were so fiercely controlled during slavery, often not allowed much contact with their families, and very strict regulations surrounding their sexual relationships with their wives, much of the masculinity of the men seemed to be stripped away by their masters. After being freed, many black men felt the need to
Single Asian Female by Michelle law was a thought provoking and challenging play presented by La Boite Theatre Company. Single Asian Female is the story of newly single Asian women and her two daughter’s lives as they all fight their own issues, run a Chinese shop, get their dream careers and most importantly be a family. This breathtaking piece explores issues and the behind the door lives of international people living in Australia. This play is brought to life through the Alex Lee’s, Hsiao-Ling Tang’s and Courtney Stewart’s realistic characterisation and vocal tones of the three main characters, Zoe, Pearl and Mei. Lighting, musical undertone and the tensions of drama helped turn this play into a heart-warming
Many Americans (like the women in Shange’s play) still feel oppressed by the racist and male-dominated society. “Bein Alive and bein a woman and bein colored is a metaphysical dilemma I have not conquered yet” (Shange 59). This quote expresses the reality of the majority of the population share in these struggles. While the lady in yellow in who said this quote is a woman of color and certainly carries her own challenges and burdens, there are basic struggles of being a human that she is also trying to comprehend. Although, I want to highlight specifically on how Shange addresses the struggles of the black woman. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide gives a voice to the voiceless and articulated the realities of modern life form some black women. Shange presented the black woman in moments of weakness, sorrow, or shame honestly; and without apologies. Specifically, Shange established that women of color deserve to be heard and never stifled. She also sets a strong theme for her play that is
for colored girls... tells the stories of seven women who have suffered oppression in a racist and sexist society. As a choreopoem, the piece is a series of 20 separate poems choreographed to music that weaves interconnected stories of love, empowerment, struggle and loss into a complex representation of sisterhood. The cast consists of seven nameless African-American women only identified by the colors they are assigned. They are the lady in red, lady in orange, lady in yellow, lady in green, lady in blue, lady in brown, and lady in purple. Subjects from rape, abandonment, abortion and domestic violence are tackled.
Research for The Laramie Project, Moises Kaufman's nationally successful play, began one month after a horrific crime occurred in Laramie, Wyoming. Members of Kaufman's theatrical group, Tectonic Theater Project, travelled to the open ranges of the West in order to gather in-person interviews from Laramie's populace. The purpose was to capture the emotions, reflections, and reactions of the people who were most closely and personally associated to the crime—the brutal beating and subsequent death of a young gay college student named Matthew Shepard. This incidence had become a national symbol of the struggle against intolerance and brought attention to the lack of hate crime laws in the U.S. One of the most powerful “moments” in the play was “Dennis Shepard’s Statement” in which Matthew’s father delivered a moving and very
“Women relinquish all personal rights/in the presence of a man/who apparently cd be considered a