When Chukwudi Iwuji was a kid growing up in Nigeria and Ethiopia, he imagined he could fly.
The second youngest of five, he would spend hours on his own, meticulously reenacting scenes he’d seen on TV, playing every part himself. Virtually all of what captured his imagination were American shows and films from the 1970s and ’80s: “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “The Godfather” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” via broadcast reruns and bootleg VHS tapes. After he first saw “Star Wars,” he would stare intensely at a plastic cup, willing it to move. And “Superman,” of course, convinced Iwuji he could leap tall buildings in a single bound.
“I would actually run around the compound as fast as I could, hoping to get fast enough to take off,” he says with a wide and wistful grin. “I guess I was always going to be an actor.
The second youngest of five, he would spend hours on his own, meticulously reenacting scenes he’d seen on TV, playing every part himself. Virtually all of what captured his imagination were American shows and films from the 1970s and ’80s: “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “The Godfather” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” via broadcast reruns and bootleg VHS tapes. After he first saw “Star Wars,” he would stare intensely at a plastic cup, willing it to move. And “Superman,” of course, convinced Iwuji he could leap tall buildings in a single bound.
“I would actually run around the compound as fast as I could, hoping to get fast enough to take off,” he says with a wide and wistful grin. “I guess I was always going to be an actor.
- 5/3/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
A few weeks ago, during a reflective conversation, a friend described 2020 as a fever dream. The uncertainty provoked by the pandemic and the potential of that summer’s uprisings brought many people closer to understanding the demands they could make of themselves and each other to create a safer world. It was a year of answering calls to action, of protesting and demonstrating, of helping neighbors, of corporate promises to listen and learn, of checking in emotionally and checking out of the death-making capitalist machine. An intoxicating energy coursed through those days — no wonder it felt unreal.
If 2020 was marked by promises, then 2022 was defined by their ghosts. How many of those pledges went unfulfilled? How many commitments were quietly abandoned? Lethargy settled in as we continued to live in unprecedented times: Corporate profits increased while individual pockets and sanities contracted, scientists and...
A few weeks ago, during a reflective conversation, a friend described 2020 as a fever dream. The uncertainty provoked by the pandemic and the potential of that summer’s uprisings brought many people closer to understanding the demands they could make of themselves and each other to create a safer world. It was a year of answering calls to action, of protesting and demonstrating, of helping neighbors, of corporate promises to listen and learn, of checking in emotionally and checking out of the death-making capitalist machine. An intoxicating energy coursed through those days — no wonder it felt unreal.
If 2020 was marked by promises, then 2022 was defined by their ghosts. How many of those pledges went unfulfilled? How many commitments were quietly abandoned? Lethargy settled in as we continued to live in unprecedented times: Corporate profits increased while individual pockets and sanities contracted, scientists and...
- 12/20/2022
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the last few days of every Tony Awards season, prognosticators have the tendency to overthink some races that are likely done deals. That could be the case this year with the Featured Actress in a Play category, where frontrunner Kenita R. Miller (“for colored girls”) has dominated the conversation since the revival of Ntozake Shange’s classic choreopoem started previews. But a large number of our users think Uzo Aduba (“Clyde’s”) will pull off an upset, while dozens are picking Rachel Dratch (“Potus”). Those mavericks may be overlooking the real spoiler in the category, though, in past Tony winner Phylicia Rashad, who returned to Broadway in Dominique Morisseau’s Best Play nominee “Skeleton Crew.”
Right now, Miller leads the field to take home the Tony for her “resplendent” performance as the Lady in Red. The actress not only delivered an acclaimed turn, but she took on the role while pregnant,...
Right now, Miller leads the field to take home the Tony for her “resplendent” performance as the Lady in Red. The actress not only delivered an acclaimed turn, but she took on the role while pregnant,...
- 6/11/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
“Becoming the director provided me a space to really create my own vision and my own voice in what I wanted to say,” explains director and choreographer Camille A. Brown of “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.” When this revival of Ntozake Shange’s landmark play opened Off-Broadway, Brown served only as choreographer. But for the Broadway transfer, she also took over as director. She earned two Tony nominations for her efforts. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Brown’s dual roles and dual nominations have historic importance. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer for a Broadway show in 67 years. The last time this happened was with Katherine Dunham in 1955. Additionally, she and fellow nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz (“The Skin of Our Teeth”) are just the second and third women of color to be nominated for Best Director of a Play.
Brown’s dual roles and dual nominations have historic importance. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer for a Broadway show in 67 years. The last time this happened was with Katherine Dunham in 1955. Additionally, she and fellow nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz (“The Skin of Our Teeth”) are just the second and third women of color to be nominated for Best Director of a Play.
- 5/18/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The 2022 Tony Award nominations have been unveiled and, per usual, we have opinions! Susan Haskins joined us in a lively discussion to dissect this crop of nominees. We reveal what we think were the cruelest snubs, most pleasant surprises, and analyze how this set of nominees may change the Tony race as we head towards the June 12th ceremony. Watch the full video above.
While our panel was happy overall with how much the Tony nominators were able to spread the wealth this year, not every production made the cut. Sam noted that “all the plays were standouts this year,” but five stellar new works were totally skunked: “Birthday Candles,” “Chicken & Biscuits,” “Is This a Room,” “Pass Over,” and “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” There’s not enough slots for everyone, but when we saw so many categories expand due to ties in voting (“how many ties can you have?...
While our panel was happy overall with how much the Tony nominators were able to spread the wealth this year, not every production made the cut. Sam noted that “all the plays were standouts this year,” but five stellar new works were totally skunked: “Birthday Candles,” “Chicken & Biscuits,” “Is This a Room,” “Pass Over,” and “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” There’s not enough slots for everyone, but when we saw so many categories expand due to ties in voting (“how many ties can you have?...
- 5/16/2022
- by Sam Eckmann and David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, nominated for seven Tony Awards this week, has extended its engagement by two weeks after previously announcing a closing date.
The “choreopoem” play, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, will now run through Sunday, June 5, at Broadway’s Booth Theatre. The previously announced final performance had been May 22.
The play has also gotten a social media boost from a recent grassroots campaign, kickstarted by theater journalist and producer Ayanna Prescod, in which donors sponsor pairs of tickets to female-identifying people of color.
The new production of the 1976 play has been Tony-nominated for Best Revival as well as in categories for lighting, sound, costumes and featured actress (Kenita R. Miller). Brown became the first person to ever be nominated for both Best Direction of a Play and Best Choreography, and the...
The “choreopoem” play, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, will now run through Sunday, June 5, at Broadway’s Booth Theatre. The previously announced final performance had been May 22.
The play has also gotten a social media boost from a recent grassroots campaign, kickstarted by theater journalist and producer Ayanna Prescod, in which donors sponsor pairs of tickets to female-identifying people of color.
The new production of the 1976 play has been Tony-nominated for Best Revival as well as in categories for lighting, sound, costumes and featured actress (Kenita R. Miller). Brown became the first person to ever be nominated for both Best Direction of a Play and Best Choreography, and the...
- 5/12/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
I had a great morning. Not only did the 2022 Tony nominations represent a great cross section of what made the 2021-2022 Broadway season so incredible, but on a more selfish note, I tied with four other users for the best prediction score! The five of us correctly predicted 70 of 83 nomination slots in Gold Derby’s prediction center, which translates to an accuracy score of 78.65 correct.
How did I do so well? Here’s my 2022 Tony Awards nominations predictions advice: I trusted my gut and thought like a Tony nominator.
See 2022 Tony Awards full list of nominations: Every show and performer in the running at the 75th annual Tonys
The Tony Awards set themselves apart from other major awards bodies in the way that nominations are chosen. Only a select group of nominators decide the nominees. This group must dedicate themselves to seeing every single eligible Broadway production during the season.
How did I do so well? Here’s my 2022 Tony Awards nominations predictions advice: I trusted my gut and thought like a Tony nominator.
See 2022 Tony Awards full list of nominations: Every show and performer in the running at the 75th annual Tonys
The Tony Awards set themselves apart from other major awards bodies in the way that nominations are chosen. Only a select group of nominators decide the nominees. This group must dedicate themselves to seeing every single eligible Broadway production during the season.
- 5/9/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
The joyous revival of Ntozake Shange’s icon choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf has returned to the Booth Theatre, where it was originally performed in 1976, then just the second production ever on Broadway by a black female writer. The new show, which originally played at the […]
The post Theater Review: ‘For Colored Girls’ Revival Shows Multi-Colored Power Of Women’s Voices appeared first on uInterview.
The post Theater Review: ‘For Colored Girls’ Revival Shows Multi-Colored Power Of Women’s Voices appeared first on uInterview.
- 5/4/2022
- by Erik Meers
- Uinterview
The Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, will close on Sunday, May 22, several months earlier than originally planned.
The production originally was scheduled to run through Aug. 14.
Directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, the revival of the groundbreaking 1976 show opened to good reviews on April 20 but has struggled at the box office. Last week, the show filled only 51 of available seats at the Booth Theatre, grossing 250,175 with a 79 average ticket.
The closing announcement arrives the week before Tony Award nominations are to be announced on Monday, May 9. The revue-style production has received nominations from such critics’ groups as the New York Drama League and the New York Outer Critics Circle.
for colored girls… marked Brown’s Broadway directorial debut. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on Broadway in more than 65 years.
The production originally was scheduled to run through Aug. 14.
Directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, the revival of the groundbreaking 1976 show opened to good reviews on April 20 but has struggled at the box office. Last week, the show filled only 51 of available seats at the Booth Theatre, grossing 250,175 with a 79 average ticket.
The closing announcement arrives the week before Tony Award nominations are to be announced on Monday, May 9. The revue-style production has received nominations from such critics’ groups as the New York Drama League and the New York Outer Critics Circle.
for colored girls… marked Brown’s Broadway directorial debut. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on Broadway in more than 65 years.
- 5/3/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
‘for colored girls’ reviews celebrate ‘riveting’ Broadway revival and ‘resplendent’ Kenita R. Miller
Forty-six years after the original production of Ntozake Shange’s legendary choreopoem “for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf,” a sterling revival has returned to Broadway in the very same house where the original ran for nearly two years. Shange’s classic work consists of poems performed by seven different Black women – identified as different colors of the rainbow – that chronicle their joys, triumphs, and struggles. This mounting features the work of Tony-nominated choreographer Camille A. Brown, who also directs. The revival opened on April 20 at the Booth Theatre.
The ensemble cast stars Amara Granderson, Tendayi Kuumba, Kenita R. Miller, Okwui Okpokwasili, Stacey Sargeant, Alexandria Wailes, and D. Woods, the majority of whom are making their Broadway debuts. The late Shange’s voice also opens the play, in a short address to a young Black girl that invites the audience to imagine with them the...
The ensemble cast stars Amara Granderson, Tendayi Kuumba, Kenita R. Miller, Okwui Okpokwasili, Stacey Sargeant, Alexandria Wailes, and D. Woods, the majority of whom are making their Broadway debuts. The late Shange’s voice also opens the play, in a short address to a young Black girl that invites the audience to imagine with them the...
- 4/26/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The Drama Leauge announced the nominations for the 2022 Drama League Awards on Monday morning. Deneé Benton and André DeShields announced the nominees at this morning’s official event at The New York Library for the Performing Arts. The Drama League honors both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in their annual celebration. Winners will be announced at the 88th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 20.
While the League doles out four production prizes, what makes them unique is their “Distinguished Performance” award. Up to fifty performers are nominated for the honor each year in a category that combines roles of all genders and sizes. An actor can only win this prize once in their career, and once they have prevailed they can not be nominated again. This year, forty three performers contend in the category.
SEE2022 Tony Awards nominations announcement moving to May 9
This year,...
While the League doles out four production prizes, what makes them unique is their “Distinguished Performance” award. Up to fifty performers are nominated for the honor each year in a category that combines roles of all genders and sizes. An actor can only win this prize once in their career, and once they have prevailed they can not be nominated again. This year, forty three performers contend in the category.
SEE2022 Tony Awards nominations announcement moving to May 9
This year,...
- 4/25/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Director and choreographer Camille A. Brown and her cast of seven female singer-dancer-actors breathe life and vitality into Ntozake Shange’s still-potent mid-1970s touchstone for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf. Opening tonight at the Booth Theatre on Broadway, Shange’s fantasia of poetry, dance and stories of confession, defiance, sisterhood and, above all, perseverance, holds a power that’s not been weakened either by decades or the loss of a once startling newness.
Shange called her mix of spoken word set to dance and movement a “choreopoem,” a word as lovely and evocative today as it was when for colored girls (as it’s often abbreviated) began Off Broadway performances back in 1974. If the word itself seems tied to its era, the form would take root and work its influence on any number of theatrical works in any number of decades, from The...
Shange called her mix of spoken word set to dance and movement a “choreopoem,” a word as lovely and evocative today as it was when for colored girls (as it’s often abbreviated) began Off Broadway performances back in 1974. If the word itself seems tied to its era, the form would take root and work its influence on any number of theatrical works in any number of decades, from The...
- 4/21/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Like so many of you, I had a lengthy hiatus from Broadway due to Covid, beginning the day after a part-time usher at “Six” was diagnosed in March 2020 with the disease and Broadway began its shut down. In fact, I had just seen “Six,” a day or so before that, and even had a brief conversation with an usher there, so I was a little nervous. However, unlike so many others, I did not return in the fall. Having a project to finish in Chicago, I did not get back to Broadway until February 9, when I went to see the current revival of one of my all-time favorites, “The Music Man.”
Front and side, at the Winter Garden Theater, I had a great time. I was particularly taken with Benjamin Payjak, playing Winthrop Paroo. When Benjamin sang his verse in the “The Wells Fargo Wagon” number, it was so wonderful that I teared up,...
Front and side, at the Winter Garden Theater, I had a great time. I was particularly taken with Benjamin Payjak, playing Winthrop Paroo. When Benjamin sang his verse in the “The Wells Fargo Wagon” number, it was so wonderful that I teared up,...
- 3/4/2022
- by Susan Haskins-Doloff
- Gold Derby
The Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown has announced its full cast and creative team, with performances set to begin at the Booth Theatre on Friday, April 1 and opening night on Wednesday, April 20.
Joining the cast are Amara Granderson as Lady in Orange, Tendayi Kuumba as Lady in Brown, Kenita R. Miller as Lady in Red, Okwui Okpokwasili as Lady in Green, Stacey Sargeant as Lady in Blue, Alexandria Wailes as Lady in Purple, and D. Woods as Lady in Yellow.
The revival will feature set design by Myung Hee Cho, costume design by Sarafina Bush, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Justin Ellington, projection design by Aaron Rhyne, and hair design by Cookie Jordan. The show also will feature...
Joining the cast are Amara Granderson as Lady in Orange, Tendayi Kuumba as Lady in Brown, Kenita R. Miller as Lady in Red, Okwui Okpokwasili as Lady in Green, Stacey Sargeant as Lady in Blue, Alexandria Wailes as Lady in Purple, and D. Woods as Lady in Yellow.
The revival will feature set design by Myung Hee Cho, costume design by Sarafina Bush, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Justin Ellington, projection design by Aaron Rhyne, and hair design by Cookie Jordan. The show also will feature...
- 2/28/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The international stage musical adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince will arrive on Broadway this spring a month later than previously expected, the latest production delayed by Covid.
The Little Prince will now begin previews at the Broadway Theatre on Tuesday, March 29, with an opening night set for Monday, April 11. The production, which combines dance, aerial acrobatics, video and music, had been set to begin performances on March 4.
Producers Broadway Entertainment Group made the announcement today. A spokesperson said the date change was prompted by “the always changing challenges of bringing an international company to New York during the pandemic.”
Earlier this week, the Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, postponed previews by a month to April 1 at the Booth Theatre after the Omicron surge necessitated a delay in rehearsals.
The Little Prince will now begin previews at the Broadway Theatre on Tuesday, March 29, with an opening night set for Monday, April 11. The production, which combines dance, aerial acrobatics, video and music, had been set to begin performances on March 4.
Producers Broadway Entertainment Group made the announcement today. A spokesperson said the date change was prompted by “the always changing challenges of bringing an international company to New York during the pandemic.”
Earlier this week, the Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, postponed previews by a month to April 1 at the Booth Theatre after the Omicron surge necessitated a delay in rehearsals.
- 1/27/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, has postponed its opening by a month, with performances now set to begin Friday, April 1, at the Booth Theatre. The official opening night is now Wednesday, April 20.
The revival previously had been set to begin performances on March 4, with the opening night of March 24.
No reason was given for the delay. Broadway recently has seen a number of productions close or go on hiatus as the Omicron variant takes a toll on box office.
Full casting and creative team for for colored girls… will be announced at a later date.
The much anticipated production will mark the Broadway directorial debut of Brown, who will become the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on a Broadway production in more than 65 years.
The revival previously had been set to begin performances on March 4, with the opening night of March 24.
No reason was given for the delay. Broadway recently has seen a number of productions close or go on hiatus as the Omicron variant takes a toll on box office.
Full casting and creative team for for colored girls… will be announced at a later date.
The much anticipated production will mark the Broadway directorial debut of Brown, who will become the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on a Broadway production in more than 65 years.
- 1/25/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Many plays and musicals have had to wait a long year and a half to open on Broadway, with premieres delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But none are more overdue than Alice Childress’ “Trouble in Mind.” First staged in 1955, the play never arrived on Broadway until now. After almost seven decades, “Trouble in Mind” opened at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre on Nov. 18.
“Trouble In Mind” centers on the rehearsals of a poorly-written play about lynching in the South penned by a white playwright. Tony Award winner Lachanze stars as Wiletta, an actress in the play who knows how to navigate the racism of show business but is becoming increasingly exasperated doing so, especially as she works with condescending director Al Manners, played by Michael Zegen. Charles Randolph-Wright directs the ensemble cast.
See ‘Caroline, or Change’ reviews: ‘Thrilling’ revival showcases Sharon D Clarke’s ‘titanic’ performance...
“Trouble In Mind” centers on the rehearsals of a poorly-written play about lynching in the South penned by a white playwright. Tony Award winner Lachanze stars as Wiletta, an actress in the play who knows how to navigate the racism of show business but is becoming increasingly exasperated doing so, especially as she works with condescending director Al Manners, played by Michael Zegen. Charles Randolph-Wright directs the ensemble cast.
See ‘Caroline, or Change’ reviews: ‘Thrilling’ revival showcases Sharon D Clarke’s ‘titanic’ performance...
- 11/19/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The first Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s groundbreaking for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf will begin preview performances at the Booth Theatre on Friday, March 4, 2022, with the opening night set for Thursday, March 24, producers announced today.
Casting for the production, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, will be announced at a later date. For colored girls… will mark Brown’s Broadway directorial debut; she was Tony-nominated for her 2019 choreography of Tarell Alvin McCraney’ Choir Boy.
“Of all the shows to be given as an opportunity to debut as a first-time Broadway director and choreographer, for colored girls… feels like a gift,” said Brown in a statement. “I’m thrilled that I’ve been entrusted to combine all the parts of myself — dance, music and theater arts — to shape and share this timeless story again with the world.”
With for colored girls… Brown...
Casting for the production, directed and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, will be announced at a later date. For colored girls… will mark Brown’s Broadway directorial debut; she was Tony-nominated for her 2019 choreography of Tarell Alvin McCraney’ Choir Boy.
“Of all the shows to be given as an opportunity to debut as a first-time Broadway director and choreographer, for colored girls… feels like a gift,” said Brown in a statement. “I’m thrilled that I’ve been entrusted to combine all the parts of myself — dance, music and theater arts — to shape and share this timeless story again with the world.”
With for colored girls… Brown...
- 11/15/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Back in February, the new play “Thoughts of a Colored Man” installed its marquee at the Golden Theatre, an encouraging sign almost a year into the coronavirus pandemic that the frost on Broadway was about to thaw. Keenan Scott II’s allegorical drama has finally arrived, debuting at the Golden on Oct. 13 under the direction of Steve H. Broadnax III.
Featuring an ensemble of seven actors – each representing a different emotion from happiness to depression, love, anger, and beyond – “Thoughts of a Colored Man” unfolds as a series of vignettes of prose, poetry, and song set over the course of a day in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood. Those seven actors are Dyllón Burnside, Bryan Terrell Clark, Da’Vinchi, Luke James, Forrest McClendon, Esau Pritchett, and Tristan ‘Mack’ Wilds. Its form has drawn comparisons to Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” a landmark...
Featuring an ensemble of seven actors – each representing a different emotion from happiness to depression, love, anger, and beyond – “Thoughts of a Colored Man” unfolds as a series of vignettes of prose, poetry, and song set over the course of a day in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood. Those seven actors are Dyllón Burnside, Bryan Terrell Clark, Da’Vinchi, Luke James, Forrest McClendon, Esau Pritchett, and Tristan ‘Mack’ Wilds. Its form has drawn comparisons to Ntozake Shange’s “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” a landmark...
- 10/14/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Tony Award-nominated choreographer Camille A. Brown will make her Broadway directing debut with a 2022 production of Ntozake Shange’s 1976 classic for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, becoming what producers say is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer on a Broadway production in more than 65 years.
Brown previously choreographed director Leah C. Gardiner’s 2019 Off Broadway production of the play at The Public Theater. Her upcoming directing debut was announced today by producers Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons and Kenneth Teaton.
“I’m extremely thrilled and honored to helm this new production of for colored girls…,” Brown said in a statement. “It’s an amazing feeling to bring this seminal show back to Broadway 45 years after it opened at the Booth Theatre on September 15, 1976. I look forward to diving into the divine Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and celebrating her legacy.”
Brown...
Brown previously choreographed director Leah C. Gardiner’s 2019 Off Broadway production of the play at The Public Theater. Her upcoming directing debut was announced today by producers Nelle Nugent, Ron Simons and Kenneth Teaton.
“I’m extremely thrilled and honored to helm this new production of for colored girls…,” Brown said in a statement. “It’s an amazing feeling to bring this seminal show back to Broadway 45 years after it opened at the Booth Theatre on September 15, 1976. I look forward to diving into the divine Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and celebrating her legacy.”
Brown...
- 8/16/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today that the 2020 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre – to be presented in September – will go to Fred Gallo, President of Prg Scenic Technologies; Broadway press agent Irene Gandy; stage manager Beverly Jenkins and New Federal Theatre founder Woodie King, Jr.
“We are thrilled to recognize these deserving individuals and organizations with Tony Honors this year,” said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “New Federal Theatre, Fred Gallo, Irene Gandy, and Beverly Jenkins have made immeasurable contributions to the theatre community, and their impact will be felt for years to come.”
The Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre were established in 1990 and are awarded annually to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theater, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.
Gallo,...
“We are thrilled to recognize these deserving individuals and organizations with Tony Honors this year,” said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “New Federal Theatre, Fred Gallo, Irene Gandy, and Beverly Jenkins have made immeasurable contributions to the theatre community, and their impact will be felt for years to come.”
The Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre were established in 1990 and are awarded annually to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theater, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.
Gallo,...
- 8/4/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Last summer, as protests for racial justice resounded through America’s streets, Bandcamp dedicated a full day of its revenue to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The independent music platform is repeating that fundraiser this Friday, June 18th, in honor of Juneteenth — the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in Texas in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Bandcamp’s share of all purchases made on the 18th, from midnight to midnight Pacific time, will go to support the NAACP’s work; the rest of each sale, as always,...
- 6/17/2021
- by Jonathan Bernstein, Jon Blistein, Jon Dolan, Christian Hoard, Jeff Ihaza, Claire Shaffer, Hank Shteamer and Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris will donate a collection of 15 plays by Black playwrights to 53 libraries and community centers across the country, a donation made in lieu of sending Slave Play scripts to Tony Award voters.
O. Harris made the announcement last night on Late Night with Seth Meyers, telling the NBC talk show host that a donation of The Golden Collection has been made in Meyers’ name to his alma mater Northwestern University. The playwright said the donation was made to recognize Meyers’ early and continued support of Slave Play.
The Golden Collection, named for Harris’ grandfather Golden Harris who died two weeks before the playwright learned that Slave Play had been booked at Broadway’s Golden Theatre, was launched in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign. The plays selected for the collection include Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry, The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe, An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs Jenkins,...
O. Harris made the announcement last night on Late Night with Seth Meyers, telling the NBC talk show host that a donation of The Golden Collection has been made in Meyers’ name to his alma mater Northwestern University. The playwright said the donation was made to recognize Meyers’ early and continued support of Slave Play.
The Golden Collection, named for Harris’ grandfather Golden Harris who died two weeks before the playwright learned that Slave Play had been booked at Broadway’s Golden Theatre, was launched in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign. The plays selected for the collection include Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry, The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe, An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs Jenkins,...
- 12/8/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jayme Lawson hasn’t wasted any time since graduating from Juilliard in May 2019. With her diploma in hand, Lawson immediately began pounding the pavement and booked her first movie, Ekwa Msangi’s Farewell Amor, in a matter of weeks. Shortly thereafter, Lawson also landed a standout role in the off-Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls… And last but not least, in the fall of 2019, Lawson secured an integral role in Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, which she just resumed shooting in October.
In Farewell Amor, Lawson plays an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia who reunites with her father (Ntare Guma Mbaho ...
In Farewell Amor, Lawson plays an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia who reunites with her father (Ntare Guma Mbaho ...
- 11/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Jayme Lawson hasn’t wasted any time since graduating from Juilliard in May 2019. With her diploma in hand, Lawson immediately began pounding the pavement and booked her first movie, Ekwa Msangi’s Farewell Amor, in a matter of weeks. Shortly thereafter, Lawson also landed a standout role in the off-Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls… And last but not least, in the fall of 2019, Lawson secured an integral role in Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, which she just resumed shooting in October.
In Farewell Amor, Lawson plays an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia who reunites with her father (Ntare Guma Mbaho ...
In Farewell Amor, Lawson plays an Angolan immigrant named Sylvia who reunites with her father (Ntare Guma Mbaho ...
- 11/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last summer, Liza Richardson read the script for the first episode of Lovecraft Country, and she tried to wrap her head around how she might choose music for the show.
“I could tell how unique it was,” the veteran music supervisor says. The series, which is set in 1955, stars Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman. In the first episode, he — along with Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and his childhood friend Leti (Jurnee Smollett) — takes a journey across Jim Crow America in search of his father, uncovering monsters both fictional and very real.
“I could tell how unique it was,” the veteran music supervisor says. The series, which is set in 1955, stars Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman. In the first episode, he — along with Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and his childhood friend Leti (Jurnee Smollett) — takes a journey across Jim Crow America in search of his father, uncovering monsters both fictional and very real.
- 9/19/2020
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge!, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Grand Horizons, Mary-Louise Parker and Jonathan Groff are among this year’s Outer Critics Circle Awards recipients, a collection of Broadway and Off Broadway recipients that make up the organization’s first-ever slate of multiple honorees.
With the Tony Awards remaining a mere possibility this year, the 70th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards took an unusual approach to an unusual, pandemic-shortened theater season: In lieu of selecting traditional nominees with one winner from each category, the Occ named five honorees in each of its technical categories and up to six honorees in acting categories. Four artists received the annual John Gassner Award this season, commemorating works by new American playwrights.
Recalibrated to celebrate “widespread excellence in New York theater this season,” the Occ Awards – chosen by the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national...
With the Tony Awards remaining a mere possibility this year, the 70th Annual Outer Critics Circle Awards took an unusual approach to an unusual, pandemic-shortened theater season: In lieu of selecting traditional nominees with one winner from each category, the Occ named five honorees in each of its technical categories and up to six honorees in acting categories. Four artists received the annual John Gassner Award this season, commemorating works by new American playwrights.
Recalibrated to celebrate “widespread excellence in New York theater this season,” the Occ Awards – chosen by the official organization of writers on New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers and national...
- 5/11/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Inheritance, Sea Wall/A Life, Slave Play and Girl From The North Country are among the Broadway nominees of this year’s Drama League Awards, along with a significant shows of Off Broadway productions.
Honoring productions that opened during the Covid-shortened 2019-2020 season, the nominations were announced by Beetlejuice’s Alex Brightman and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer via livestream last night. Voting is currently open for Drama League members through May 22, with winners to be announced via livestream in June.
More from DeadlineWatch: Terrence McNally Video Tribute Set For Drama League Awards Online EventBroadway's 'Moulin Rouge!' Star Aaron Tveit Tests Positive For Covid-19, Symptoms "Very Mild"Broadway's 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' Cancels Today's Performances "Out Of Abundance Of Caution"; No Positive Tests For Coronavirus - Update
Among the individual performers nominated for the League’s Distinguished Performance Award were Raúl Esparza, David Alan Grier, Jonathan Groff, Jake Gyllenhaal,...
Honoring productions that opened during the Covid-shortened 2019-2020 season, the nominations were announced by Beetlejuice’s Alex Brightman and Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer via livestream last night. Voting is currently open for Drama League members through May 22, with winners to be announced via livestream in June.
More from DeadlineWatch: Terrence McNally Video Tribute Set For Drama League Awards Online EventBroadway's 'Moulin Rouge!' Star Aaron Tveit Tests Positive For Covid-19, Symptoms "Very Mild"Broadway's 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' Cancels Today's Performances "Out Of Abundance Of Caution"; No Positive Tests For Coronavirus - Update
Among the individual performers nominated for the League’s Distinguished Performance Award were Raúl Esparza, David Alan Grier, Jonathan Groff, Jake Gyllenhaal,...
- 5/1/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Public Theater Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis Executive Director, Patrick Willingham announced a fourth and final extension of the revival of for colored girls who have considered suicidewhen the rainbow is enuf, written by legendary playwrightpoet Ntozake Shange. Directed by Obie Award winner Leah C. Gardiner with choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicidewhen the rainbow is enuf began performances on Tuesday, October 8 in The Public's Martinson Hall and officially opened on Tuesday, October 22. for colored girls who have considered suicidewhen the rainbow is enuf was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, November 17, and was extended four times to now run through Sunday, December 15.
- 11/21/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
For the second year in a row, Variety will present its 10 Actors to Watch in conjunction with the Newport Beach Film Festival and Visit Newport Beach. This marks the 21st year Variety has presented 10 Actors to Watch.
The festival will also bestow honors on artists who have made a significant impact in film this year. Talent will be celebrated at a brunch and ceremony held Nov. 3 at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast.
Newport Beach will present Artist of Distinction awards to “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Stephanie Beatriz, “Downton Abbey” star Allen Leech, “The Big Bang Theory” star Melissa Rauch and playwright-thesp Tracy Letts, soon to be seen in “Ford v Ferrari.” Alfre Woodard will receive the Icon Award.
Woodard began her journey on an acting career in high school, the moment she first stepped onto the stage as a junior in Federico García Lorca’s “House of Bernarda Alba.
The festival will also bestow honors on artists who have made a significant impact in film this year. Talent will be celebrated at a brunch and ceremony held Nov. 3 at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast.
Newport Beach will present Artist of Distinction awards to “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Stephanie Beatriz, “Downton Abbey” star Allen Leech, “The Big Bang Theory” star Melissa Rauch and playwright-thesp Tracy Letts, soon to be seen in “Ford v Ferrari.” Alfre Woodard will receive the Icon Award.
Woodard began her journey on an acting career in high school, the moment she first stepped onto the stage as a junior in Federico García Lorca’s “House of Bernarda Alba.
- 11/1/2019
- by Paul Plunkett
- Variety Film + TV
The Public Theater Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis Executive Director, Patrick Willingham announced the third extension of the revival ofFOR Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicidewhen The Rainbow Is Enuf, written by legendary playwrightpoet Ntozake Shange. Directed by Obie Award winner Leah C. Gardiner with choreography by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown,For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicidewhen The Rainbow Is ENUFbegan performances on Tuesday, October 8 in The Public's Martinson Hall and officially opened on Tuesday, October 22. In its third extension,For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicidewhen The Rainbow Is ENUFwas originally scheduled to close on Sunday, November 17, and will now run through Sunday, December 8.
- 10/26/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Janet — Miss Jackson if you’re nasty — has partnered with Paradigm Talent Agency for global representation. Janet Jackson will be repped by the agency in all areas including touring, theatrical, film, branding and beyond.
“Janet Jackson is one of the most iconic and culturally significant artists of all time and we are thrilled to partner with her to create global opportunities for her as an artist and for the art she creates,” said Sam Gores, Chairman and CEO of Paradigm. “We will also seek inspiring opportunities to support Janet’s long history and dedication to social activism and female and gender advocacy.”
Jackson comes from a legendary family and has become a pop culture icon and one of the most influential entertainers of our time. Her current single featuring Daddy Yankee, “Made For Now” debuted at #1 on the iTunes charts.
She made her TV debut on Good Times in the...
“Janet Jackson is one of the most iconic and culturally significant artists of all time and we are thrilled to partner with her to create global opportunities for her as an artist and for the art she creates,” said Sam Gores, Chairman and CEO of Paradigm. “We will also seek inspiring opportunities to support Janet’s long history and dedication to social activism and female and gender advocacy.”
Jackson comes from a legendary family and has become a pop culture icon and one of the most influential entertainers of our time. Her current single featuring Daddy Yankee, “Made For Now” debuted at #1 on the iTunes charts.
She made her TV debut on Good Times in the...
- 11/27/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Whoopi Goldberg celebrates her 63rd birthday on November 13, 2018. The actress, comedian, and talk show host has had one of the most varied careers in show business and has even achieved the Egot, which has come to symbolize success across the board in all mediums.
Goldberg won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for the film “Ghost.” She had previously been nominated for her screen debut for Steven Spielberg in “The Color Purple” and stood a good chance at becoming the first African-American woman to win Best Actress, but controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of black men scared voters away from the film and it lost all 11 of its nominations.
Goldberg’s Emmy wins both came for daytime work. Her first win was for hosting a documentary about Hattie McDaniel of “Gone With the Wind,” the Best Supporting Actress for that film. She also won a second Emmy for her...
Goldberg won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for the film “Ghost.” She had previously been nominated for her screen debut for Steven Spielberg in “The Color Purple” and stood a good chance at becoming the first African-American woman to win Best Actress, but controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of black men scared voters away from the film and it lost all 11 of its nominations.
Goldberg’s Emmy wins both came for daytime work. Her first win was for hosting a documentary about Hattie McDaniel of “Gone With the Wind,” the Best Supporting Actress for that film. She also won a second Emmy for her...
- 11/13/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Noted playwright, poet and novelist, Ntozake Shange died on Saturday morning. The news was announced via Shange’s official Twitter account. She was 70.
According to The Star Tribune, Shange had suffered multiple strokes in recent years, but her health was improving. She died peacefully in her sleep in an assisted living facility in Bowie, Md.
Shange was born Paulette L. Williams in Trenton, New Jersey on October 18, 1948. Her family was an advocate of the arts and their home welcomed legendary figures in black history including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Shange took an interest in poetry. When she graduated from high school, she went on to study at Barnard College in New York City. It was there where she met fellow poet Thulani Davis, who she would collaborate with on various works. After graduating from Barnard, she traveled west to USC and earned a masters degree.
According to The Star Tribune, Shange had suffered multiple strokes in recent years, but her health was improving. She died peacefully in her sleep in an assisted living facility in Bowie, Md.
Shange was born Paulette L. Williams in Trenton, New Jersey on October 18, 1948. Her family was an advocate of the arts and their home welcomed legendary figures in black history including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Shange took an interest in poetry. When she graduated from high school, she went on to study at Barnard College in New York City. It was there where she met fellow poet Thulani Davis, who she would collaborate with on various works. After graduating from Barnard, she traveled west to USC and earned a masters degree.
- 10/28/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Take on difficult subjects through the art of poetry and dance as a lead actor in an acclaimed piece of theater. The Ty & Co. Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia is now casting its upcoming production of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem that tells the stories of seven women who have suffered oppression in a racist and sexist society. The piece consists of 20 separate poems which tackle difficult subjects, such as rape, abandonment, abortion, and domestic violence. Seven Black female actors, aged 18 and older, are wanted to play the lead roles in the piece: lady in red, lady in orange, lady in yellow, lady in green, lady in blue, lady in brown, and lady in purple Interested talent will need to include a video submission as an audition to be considered. A tech rehearsal will take place on July 17, followed...
- 3/19/2018
- backstage.com
Make work your favorite and apply for one of the great gigs in today’s roundup! Sing loud for all to hear in “Elf the Musical,” which is now casting a non-Equity national tour. Plus, an Equity play is seeking women of color, QVC is looking for a national host, and season two of the singing competition “The Four” is casting talent. “Elf The Musical” Non-equity National Tour Casting is currently underway for a non-Equity national tour of "Elf the Musical." A male actor, aged 21–35, is sought to play the lead role of Buddy. There are also lead roles available for talent, aged 12–65, including Jovie, Walter, Michael, and more, as well as ensemble spots for singers and dancers. Rehearsals will begin around October in New York City with previews and production running from late October–Dec. 30. Actors will receive a compensation package of $975–$1,100 per week. Apply here! “For Colored Girls…...
- 3/2/2018
- backstage.com
Margaret Roleke's life has been spent in New York or the surrounding tri-state area except for three years living in London and two studying in Ohio. Her many trips to Europe, Asia, Central America, and South America have informed her practice. Roleke's art has been exhibited widely in the tri-state area, and also in several international shows. In the last year her work was seen at Scope Miami, Cutlog in New York, Fountain Art Fair in New York, and in several group exhibits in Connecticut, Harlem, and Brooklyn.
Bradley Rubenstein: It was great seeing some of your new pieces. I'm not sure exactly what we should call them -- they are a kind of hybrid print. Can we talk a little about them first? There is a show of works by Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler up now, and these reminded me of a combination of that kind of colorfield painting,...
Bradley Rubenstein: It was great seeing some of your new pieces. I'm not sure exactly what we should call them -- they are a kind of hybrid print. Can we talk a little about them first? There is a show of works by Morris Louis and Helen Frankenthaler up now, and these reminded me of a combination of that kind of colorfield painting,...
- 9/26/2014
- by bradleyrubenstein
- www.culturecatch.com
Date & location: Friday, September 19, 2014 through Saturday, January 3, 2015 at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Latimer/Edison Gallery Since its debut performance in California in 1974, Ntozake Shange’s work has captivated, provoked, inspired and transformed audiences all over the world. Turning to the choreopoem not simply as an engaging work of text or drama, but as a well of social, political and deeply personal issues affecting the lives of women of color, the exhibition will feature 20 specially commissioned pieces in honor of each individual poem, additional non-commissioned artworks on display at satellite locations, that address the work’s themes and...
- 9/8/2014
- by Press Release
- ShadowAndAct
Project1VOICE will present For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicidewhen The Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange in partnership with the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc. Nblca on Monday, June 16, 2014 at the Harlem Hospital Pavilion at 506 Lenox Ave.Malcolm X Boulevard in New York City. The fourth annual 1VOICE1PLAY1DAY event celebrates what it means to be female in the 21st century, with a focus on empowering women and girls.
- 5/22/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
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Ahead of the release of The Single Moms Club, a film written, directed, produced by and starring Tyler Perry, we thought it was worthwhile looking back on all the Tyler Perry Productions (Tpp) that came before it. In total, Perry has produced 16 films (including Smc) from the ongoing Madea franchise to stand-alones, such as Temptation and Why Did I Get Married? All of the films have been met with varying degrees of praise and success. But who has actually sat down and watched all of them? Inspired by that question, I decided to review all of Perry’s film in order to grade and rank each film.
To see how they fall in order (from worst to best), flip through the gallery above. For a more in-depth, critical analysis keep on reading!
(Warning: The films were not watched in order of release. In fact, if watched in...
Ahead of the release of The Single Moms Club, a film written, directed, produced by and starring Tyler Perry, we thought it was worthwhile looking back on all the Tyler Perry Productions (Tpp) that came before it. In total, Perry has produced 16 films (including Smc) from the ongoing Madea franchise to stand-alones, such as Temptation and Why Did I Get Married? All of the films have been met with varying degrees of praise and success. But who has actually sat down and watched all of them? Inspired by that question, I decided to review all of Perry’s film in order to grade and rank each film.
To see how they fall in order (from worst to best), flip through the gallery above. For a more in-depth, critical analysis keep on reading!
(Warning: The films were not watched in order of release. In fact, if watched in...
- 3/14/2014
- by Stacy Lambe
- TheFabLife - Movies
Filmmaker Stacey Muhammad has announced that award-winning actor and director Charles S. Dutton (Rudy, Alien 3, Roc) has joined the second season cast of her series For Colored Boys. Actor Adesola Osakalumi (Broadway's Fela!) will join the cast for season two as well. Inspired by Ntozake Shange's famed 1975 choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, For Colored Boys is "a collection of stories that follow the lives of African American men from various walks of life as they seek to overcome challenges, face their fears, find their truth, find love, mend broken relationships, and build families." We've...
- 2/24/2014
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
As the stage version of The Color Purple arrives in Britain, writer Candace Allen recalls the upset and uproar the novel caused among African Americans
The first page took your breath away: a mortified 14-year-old girl has started writing letters to God because she can tell no one else that, although "he never had a kine word to say to me", "he" [her putative daddy] has raped her and warned that she "better … git used to it". Page two, letter two: her mama dead and she "big" with her second baby. He "kilt" the first. "Kill this one, too if he can." Letter three: the letter-writer has a little sister she will protect "with God help". Letter four: sister Nettie has a friend named Mr ___. Letter seven: Mr ___ wants to marry Nettie but he carries a picture of a beautiful, worldly woman named Shug Avery in his wallet. The letter-writer is mesmerised by Shug Avery.
The first page took your breath away: a mortified 14-year-old girl has started writing letters to God because she can tell no one else that, although "he never had a kine word to say to me", "he" [her putative daddy] has raped her and warned that she "better … git used to it". Page two, letter two: her mama dead and she "big" with her second baby. He "kilt" the first. "Kill this one, too if he can." Letter three: the letter-writer has a little sister she will protect "with God help". Letter four: sister Nettie has a friend named Mr ___. Letter seven: Mr ___ wants to marry Nettie but he carries a picture of a beautiful, worldly woman named Shug Avery in his wallet. The letter-writer is mesmerised by Shug Avery.
- 7/16/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Audiences today often don't know the name of a play until just before its run starts. But would you book a ticket for a show without a title?
With a new play, audiences never quite know what they're getting, but early ticket-buyers for Anthony Neilson's latest piece at the Royal Court were taking an exceptionally wild shot in the dark. Originally advertised several months ago as "Untitled New Play by Anthony Neilson", it was only revealed to be called Narrative on 15 March, three weeks before opening.
Neilson's play joins a very small sub-set of theatre productions that have been delivered onto the posters unbaptised. The other most recent British example was Mike Leigh's 2011 show at the National theatre, promoted and sold for several months as "New play by Mike Leigh", before, at the last minute, becoming Grief.
In both cases, the delay resulted not from indecision or wilfulness...
With a new play, audiences never quite know what they're getting, but early ticket-buyers for Anthony Neilson's latest piece at the Royal Court were taking an exceptionally wild shot in the dark. Originally advertised several months ago as "Untitled New Play by Anthony Neilson", it was only revealed to be called Narrative on 15 March, three weeks before opening.
Neilson's play joins a very small sub-set of theatre productions that have been delivered onto the posters unbaptised. The other most recent British example was Mike Leigh's 2011 show at the National theatre, promoted and sold for several months as "New play by Mike Leigh", before, at the last minute, becoming Grief.
In both cases, the delay resulted not from indecision or wilfulness...
- 4/1/2013
- by Mark Lawson
- The Guardian - Film News
Taking place at Barnard College here in NYC, all the details via press release below... of course the For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf playwright, and poet will be present. The Worlds of Ntozake Shange: A Performance and Conference February 14th and 15th, 2013 In a culture in which black women’s stories have been consistently marginalized, Ntozake Shange ’70 unflinchingly delved into experiences of “colored girls” in America, transcending genre and defying expectations with several of the most powerful and lyrical works of art in the twentieth century. This February, the Africana Studies Program, the Consortium...
- 2/1/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Whether it's Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show or Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun, Phylicia Rashad has built her career on playing strong women. Rashad continues that tradition by stepping into the role of Wilimena Deeds in Tyler Perry's new film, Good Deeds. It's the actress' second appearance in a Perry film. In 2010, she appeared in For Colored Girls.
Growing up in Houston, Rashad was surrounded by literature. Her mother, Vivian Ayers, was once nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Rashad says even today when you are in her mother's home, you are surrounded by art and "you understand you are in the environs of a creative thinker."
Rashad's childhood paved the way for her future. When you spend time talking with her, you realize that like the characters she plays, she too is strong and isn't afraid to speak out on controversial issues. While Good Deeds...
Growing up in Houston, Rashad was surrounded by literature. Her mother, Vivian Ayers, was once nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Rashad says even today when you are in her mother's home, you are surrounded by art and "you understand you are in the environs of a creative thinker."
Rashad's childhood paved the way for her future. When you spend time talking with her, you realize that like the characters she plays, she too is strong and isn't afraid to speak out on controversial issues. While Good Deeds...
- 2/24/2012
- by Dustin Fitzharris
- Aol TV.
I’m not sure there’s a way to discuss Random, an adaptation of a one-women show, without discussing the random event at the core of the film. A film like this doesn’t require “shock,” so much as the value of the film is in its construction. It’s an effecting emotional journey and if you wish to see it cold (as I you should see anything), than you should know I recommend and avoid this rest of this write-up.
Random is a poetic symphony of images, language and identity. Director Debbie Tucker Green is an English playwright and the winner of 2004 Lawrence Oliver award for most promising in that category. She has delivered on this promise. Random is a short feature film adaptation of a previous work, and it keeps theatrical conventions: it is narrated and performed bravely by Nadine Marshall. The incident at the core of the...
Random is a poetic symphony of images, language and identity. Director Debbie Tucker Green is an English playwright and the winner of 2004 Lawrence Oliver award for most promising in that category. She has delivered on this promise. Random is a short feature film adaptation of a previous work, and it keeps theatrical conventions: it is narrated and performed bravely by Nadine Marshall. The incident at the core of the...
- 9/18/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Sometimes hitting the multiplex just isn’t in the cards. That’s when cable, the web and streaming step in to provide an instant movie fix. But how to separate the wheat from the chaff? I’m happy to help; every week I’ll pick a flick and see if it’s worth your time. This week? “For Colored Girls”.
The Story: Based on the award-winning play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, by Ntozake Shange, it’s a story of several women whose lives intersect. Rich, poor, married, single, saint and sinner, they all come together to show the difficulties of being an African-American woman. This is no pleasure cruise; the topics touch on abortion, rape, promiscuity, abuse, neglect and murder. But Shange’s beautiful prose delivers hope for a better day through the strength of friendship and sisterhood.
The Good: Shange, Shange,...
The Story: Based on the award-winning play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, by Ntozake Shange, it’s a story of several women whose lives intersect. Rich, poor, married, single, saint and sinner, they all come together to show the difficulties of being an African-American woman. This is no pleasure cruise; the topics touch on abortion, rape, promiscuity, abuse, neglect and murder. But Shange’s beautiful prose delivers hope for a better day through the strength of friendship and sisterhood.
The Good: Shange, Shange,...
- 8/17/2011
- by Denise Kitashima Dutton
- Atomic Popcorn
I’m sure many of you are aware from Tambay’s previous Post that the Images of Black Women Film Festival which re-starts (they had the first part of it in early March) tomorrow Friday 8th through April 10th in London, England but you may not have seen this year’s trailer for it (cut by the festival host herself Dami Akinnusi) so here it goes:
For those unaware, the Images of Black Women Film festival is the only UK festival in celebration of the global black experience with a focus on women’s talent and representation. With the current economic climate, this year Ibw did not receive its usual funding. but is still putting on the film festival personally funded by the founder Sylviane Rano.
The 7th Edition includes an eclectic mix of cinema incorporating foreign independent and classic films, such as I Will Follow & For Coloured Girls; a...
For those unaware, the Images of Black Women Film festival is the only UK festival in celebration of the global black experience with a focus on women’s talent and representation. With the current economic climate, this year Ibw did not receive its usual funding. but is still putting on the film festival personally funded by the founder Sylviane Rano.
The 7th Edition includes an eclectic mix of cinema incorporating foreign independent and classic films, such as I Will Follow & For Coloured Girls; a...
- 4/7/2011
- by Curtis the Media Man
- ShadowAndAct
Tyler Perry will direct and star in Good Deeds, a new production for Lionsgate, based on his own original screenplay.
Perry will once again work both in front of and behind the cameras in the romantic drama about a successful entrepreneur who’s going to get married when he suddenly finds himself more interested in a down-on-her-luck single mother than his uptown fiance.
Filming is set to begin at the end of April in Atlanta and is being produced by Tyler Perry Studios along with Lionsgate. A release date has not yet been announced.
Last year Perry directed the adaptation of For Colored Girls based on Ntozake Shange’s Tony Award – winning stageplay (1975), with generally mixed reviews.
Regardless of the critics about the quality of his movies, e.g. Spike Lee opinion of Perry movies as filled with Coonery, Tyler Perry is making the growing influence of the segment of...
Perry will once again work both in front of and behind the cameras in the romantic drama about a successful entrepreneur who’s going to get married when he suddenly finds himself more interested in a down-on-her-luck single mother than his uptown fiance.
Filming is set to begin at the end of April in Atlanta and is being produced by Tyler Perry Studios along with Lionsgate. A release date has not yet been announced.
Last year Perry directed the adaptation of For Colored Girls based on Ntozake Shange’s Tony Award – winning stageplay (1975), with generally mixed reviews.
Regardless of the critics about the quality of his movies, e.g. Spike Lee opinion of Perry movies as filled with Coonery, Tyler Perry is making the growing influence of the segment of...
- 4/5/2011
- by Nikola Mraovic
- Filmofilia
News on the march… for our London-based readers! You’ll get to see Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed I Will Follow, and a film we’ve been excited about on this site since first hearing about it, the animated feature, Chico & Rita.
The full lineup below:
Telling Our Own Stories – Friday 8 April, 8:30pm – 10:30pm at Tricycle Cinema, Kilburn | £9.50
A different story recently released by a Us black film festival collective Affrm (The African American Film Festival Releasing Movement). This release is their first project + panel discussion
Film:
I Will Follow: By Ava DuVernay -Drama, 81min, USA, 2010 English
Filmmakers’ Forum – Saturday 9 April, 3:00pm – 5:00pm at Tricycle Cinema, Kilburn | £7/£5.50 cons
Miles of Styles presents a selection of four short-films with a focus on Destiny Ekaragha, a upcoming UK filmmaker + Panel discussion.
Short Films:
Tight Jean: by Destiny Ekaragha. Comedy 9min, UK, 2009
The Park : by Destiny Ekaragha.
The full lineup below:
Telling Our Own Stories – Friday 8 April, 8:30pm – 10:30pm at Tricycle Cinema, Kilburn | £9.50
A different story recently released by a Us black film festival collective Affrm (The African American Film Festival Releasing Movement). This release is their first project + panel discussion
Film:
I Will Follow: By Ava DuVernay -Drama, 81min, USA, 2010 English
Filmmakers’ Forum – Saturday 9 April, 3:00pm – 5:00pm at Tricycle Cinema, Kilburn | £7/£5.50 cons
Miles of Styles presents a selection of four short-films with a focus on Destiny Ekaragha, a upcoming UK filmmaker + Panel discussion.
Short Films:
Tight Jean: by Destiny Ekaragha. Comedy 9min, UK, 2009
The Park : by Destiny Ekaragha.
- 3/30/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
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