First performed 40 years ago, in Berkeley, California, the magnitude of Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" is still shaking up audiences today. The play - comprised of a collection of poems - tells the stories of seven women who each represent a color of the rainbow and who all have endured the injustices of a racist and sexist culture.
Making its return to The Bahamas for the second time since the 70s, "For Colored Girls" (FCG) is now being performed at The Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts under the directorship of Nicolette Bethel. The play is the second 2014 Ringplay Productions performance since the group began its revitalization efforts at the Dundas.
Bethel, head of the Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work at The College of The Bahamas (COB), credits her COB students with providing the inspiration for her to bring the play back.
"I decided to do it (FCG) because I was teaching it, and the students responded so well to it that I thought, 'OK, well maybe we should do it for an audience'. I did it now because of the space. I wanted it to be in that space," said Bethel.
Serving as the christening event for the Dundas' new black box theater, "For Colored Girls" opened on July 18 in the intimate space. Seating approximately 80 persons, the stark theater has proved to be an optimal venue for plays like FCG, whose actors often break the fourth wall.
"We wanted a black box. We wanted theater in the round, and "Colored Girls" was just right for it," said Bethel.
Rated C for subject matter and language, Ringplay has been careful to keep Shange's poems within the walls of the cozy set; still the play has been making waves among Nassau's social circles. According to Bethel, the Bahamian public's reaction has been strong and overwhelmingly positive, particularly when compared with the play's reception in the 1970s.
"Women really, really respond well to this play, and the poor guys who come - they are on the spot the whole time. Shange, when she wrote it, got a huge backlash from the guys, from the men who came to see it. I haven't seen that here," said the director.
Similarly, Michaella Forbes, who delivers an enthralling monologue as Green in "Somebody Almost Walked Off Wid Alla My Stuff", has observed an impressive trend with the play's male audience members.
"As the days go by it, seems like more men are coming," she said. "At first it was maybe just one in each row, but now you're starting to see two and three, so that's a good thing. So I'm thinking the word's getting out there that it's not only for women, it's for men too. We make the men feel very uncomfortable for a second, but I think they get a lot of out of it when they leave."
Bethel has also seen demand from Bahamian mothers who are keen on bringing their daughters to the play, adding: "What's really interesting is the production is rated C, and we've had a number of inquiries from mothers who want to bring their pre-teen or teenage daughters to see this. But, of course they can't because its rated C and nobody under 18 is allowed. That's been a disappointment for many of these women."
Shange's poems are known for their moving effect on women across the globe; through this year's production, the Dundas has witnessed a poignant response from both actors and attendees.
"There are women who have been moved to tears, who feel that they've had some kind of cathartic experience, who said, 'I saw myself on the stage'," said Bethel. "This happens to the actresses. There was one night that we had a workshop and there were many tears, and one (actor) who I didn't think could even continue. It was that strong."
Hoping to heighten a sense of community through theater, Ringplay invited all members of the public to audition for FCG roles; the result was a cast featuring a range of experience from those making their return to the stage after several decades to theater pros like Claudette "Cookie" Allens. Bethel noted the theater company's difficulty in selecting actors from the large pool of talent; the challenge resulted in a cast of eight, rather than the traditional seven, colors.
The eighth character - Rainbow - is played by marine biology student Aleah Carey, who has found her way back to performing arts after many years. Last appearing in a kindergarten production, Carey can now be found playing the role of the colors' healer.
"From the experience altogether, I got that this is definitely something I'd like to continue. I didn't think I would be so into it, but I absolutely love it," said Carey. "From the play itself, I got that we women, we must be strong. We cannot let these men walk all over us."
The black box production also signaled a return to theater for actor Onike Archer, who described her role in Shange's play as a move that gave her "life". Ending a three-year acting hiatus with "For Colored Girls", she played the color Purple - a woman who expresses herself through dance - and performed the "Sachita" scene.
"I figured [that] this would probably be a good challenge, a stimulating challenge, to get me back up on the stage, so I had to go through the audition process like everybody else...to my surprise, I was selected. I think just getting back into performing, which is mainly my real and true passion, is the reason why I have found myself back in the performance circle after being away for three years," said Archer.
The last performance of "For Colored Girls" will be held at the Dundas tonight at 8 p.m. Those interested in finding out more about the play or other Ringplay Productions are encouraged to call the Dundas at 393-3728 or visit the Dundas' Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thedundas.

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