For Colored Girls... Film in the Works

I have the earlier tv movie version that was filmed for PBS about 25 years ago with some of the original cast (plus then unknowns like Alfre Woodard and Lynn Whitfield) and while a lot of it definitely still packs a wallop and works on a visceral and emotional level, a few things simply don't come off very well on film (and were much more powerful in the theatre). The film made the mistake of dramatizing some of the monologues with the women playing off of male actors -- in each case the scene was MUCH stronger when it was performed solo on stage.

I think the piece can still resonate for the most part with today's audiences -- although the last NY revival in 2000 was miscast, the one before in the early 90s at Henry Street was strong overall (I've seen about 7 or 8 productions of it since 1977) -- I really doubt that it can be filmed and have nearly the same impact as seeing it live.

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Updated On: 1/15/07 at 03:20 PM

Trezana Beverley directed a few plays when I was in college. An interesting lady. I've always wanted to see that Colored Girls taped recording.

I love this show, but have NO idea how it would translate to a film.

Reenacting these monologues physically would (for me) kill it.

Kinda like adding all the men into "The Women."

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Decided to revive an old thread...

Just read that Whoopi Goldberg and DreamTeam Entertainment Group are producing a revival of For Colored Girls...

Shirley Jo Finney is directing, Hinton Battle is choreographing.

Singer India.Arie has been cast as one of the seven ladies, which one specifically is tba.

The show is set to open in August.

This was one of the strongest theatrical experiences of my life when it was done at Baltimore's Center Stage (George Faison of THE WIZ directed and choreographed). It was cast older than usual, and the strength and humor of the middle-aged actresses was overwhelming. You could tell most of the audience (Baltimore is 75% Afro-American) had been through some variant of what those characters had gone through. There was a joyous communal feeling in the theatre during "Someone ran off with alla my stuff!" and "My love is too...to be thrown back in my face."

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There are talented individuals involved with For Colored Girls, but I think it's a dated play. It's time to move away from all the anger towards black men that the play emphasizes. True it does celebrate women's stories. As a woman, I appreciate that, but I am so tired of hearing about Bo Willie dropping that baby out the window. It's time to leave it alone. There has to be another way to dramatize male/female relationships.

A note from the EPA casting notice:

Please prepare a brief contemporary monologue in the style of the show. Monologues from the show (EXCEPT the “Beau Willie” monologue) are welcome.

Seeing Trazana Beverly in this at the Public Theatre was truly a life changing experience I will never forget. At the end I was completely unable to leave my seat, and have never forgotten her in all the intervening years. It was so wonderful to see her at the 2006 Anniversary Tonys where all the available winners were photographed.