ENTERTAINMENT

For Colored Girls- A Tyler Perry Film

(Currently Playing in Theaters)

In 1974, Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf” made its stage debut, combining poetry, dance and music, and most significantly, placing the black female experience center stage.  In lyrical, honest, angry, funny and tender language, Shange’s “colored girls” evoked the feelings woven into the fabric of black female life in America. Within two years, the play became a Broadway sensation, won an Obie and Tony Award, and would eventually be produced in regional theaters throughout the country.  Now, thirty-six years later, filmmaker Tyler Perry adapts this landmark work for the big screen, integrating the vivid language of Shange’s poems into a contemporary narrative that explores what it means to be a woman of color - and a woman of any color - in this world.

FOR COLORED GIRLS weaves together the stories of nine different women – Joanna, Tangie, Crystal, Gilda, Kelly, Juanita, Yasmine, Nyla and Alice – as they move into and out of one another’s existences; some are well known to one another, others are as yet strangers.  Crises, heartbreaks and crimes will ultimately bring these nine women fully into the same orbit where they will find commonality and understanding.  Each will speak her truth as never before.  And each will know that she is complete as a human being, glorious and divine in all her colors.

http://www.forcoloredgirlsgallery.com/

NBC Cancels “Undercovers”

I was disappointed to find out about the cancellation of NBC’s “sexpionage” show Undercovers starring Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.  Besides the obvious reasons of enjoying watching the “oh so” handsome Boris, I had been following the show to support a concept we haven’t seen- an African-American married couple who happen to be undercover globe-trotting CIA agents hiding behind their catering business to disguise their true occupations.   Every week the characters traveled to some exotic and exciting locale backed up by plenty of action and adventure.

The show was co- created by J.J. Abrams famously known for being the co-creator of “Lost” and the creator “Alias”, so I was convinced the show had a strong chance to survive.  I’m not quite sure why the show didn’t survive but I do know that we need more positive “lead” acting representation on television and film by Black actors.  Better yet, we need more Black writers, directors, producers, and distributors to tell our stories and get the movies and scripts into the right hands so that our voices can be heard.  Thanks “Undercovers” for at least giving it a try.  Better luck next time.