For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf
by Ntozake Shange
Directed by Teayra Bowden
PRODUCTION TEAM
Teayra Bowden (Director/Co-Choreographer)(she/her) is a Senior Directing, Playwriting, Production major and a Philly-based playwright, director, and dramaturg. She specializes in new play development and devised movement-based performance. Teayra is committed to working with new plays and the dramaturgical process as the Brind School’s Season Dramaturg for the past two seasons working in 19 different rehearsal rooms. In the past year, she has directed “Terms of Endearment” by China Rain Chung, “Here We Go” by Caryl Churchill, “The Syrian Refugee Monologue Project” a curation by Fadi Skeiker, and “Your Name is a Song” in collaboration with the Philadelphia Free Library Muslim Art Collection. Teayra is a local producer, she was the 2023 UArts’ Equinox New Play Festival Artistic Producer and works at Bristol Riverside Theatre as a Grant Coordinator and Producing Assistant. For her, For Colored Girls is a labor of love and a celebration of ALL black women. She would like to thank her family, Amy Dugas-Brown, her BRT family and the entire FCG team for their constant support and love throughout this process!
Aubryanna Martinez (Music Supervisor)
Janee Bell (Co-Choreographer)
Emilia Rose Hoard (Assistant Director)(she/they) is a Freshman Directing, Playwriting, and Production Major. Her UArts credits include Assistant Stage Managing Eat the Rich Audrey! directed by Alani Rose and Dramaturg for JesusXJudas Untitled Lesbian Play written by Jordan Neff as part of Equinox New Play Festival 2024. She has choreographed for Annie Jr. and The Little Mermaid Jr. at her former high school.
Chantel Thea Cumberbatch (Stage Manager) has worked as both an Actor and a Stage Manager and/or Assistant Director for multiple theaters in the area recently. She has performed at The Media Theatre; The Ritz Theatre and Theatre Horizon ,so far. She has also SM/AD for such shows as W.I.T.S at University of the Arts (Polyphone), Pageant at the Ritz Theatre and Memphis at Candlelight Theatre. She loves this project and the people involved!
Tommie Wofford (Assistant Stage Manager)
Nick Embree (Set Designer)(he/him) has designed sets for over 150 productions in Philadelphia and the region, and more than 20 for UArts – most recently, THINGS LEFT UNWRITTEN in Fall 2023 and HORSE GIRLS and HOT / COLD SHOWER in Spring 2023. Nick teaches a range of design courses for the Theater Design-Tech and Film Design programs at UArts and has been a full-time faculty member at the University since 2004. Nick is currently working on the set design for a new touring ballet for the Nashville Ballet, opening in October 2024. He is a member of the professional theater designers’ union, USA Local 829.
Samantha Herb (Assistant Set Designer)
Miles Ellis Novotny (Prop Head)
Laila Padilla (Prop Assistant)
Krista Smith (Lighting Designer)
Anna Ryabova (Assistant Lighting Designer)
Ethan Paone (Programmer)
Natajia "Tay" Sconiers (Costume Designer)(she/her): is a Black Theatre and Teaching artist and Costume Designer from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in theatre arts. A former Arden Apprentice (class 26) and Acting Apprentice at Delaware Shakespeare, she started out in Costume Design and quickly developed a love for all aspects of theatre, working onstage, backstage and administratively at multiple theaters, including McCarter Theatre Center, and Freedom Theater. She is currently an Artistic Associate and Company Manager at Delaware Theatre Company, Board member of Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, and a Company member of Theatre Contra. Her favorite costume credits include Drea A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Ignoble Shakespeare Co) Dream-Rushes (Theatre Contra); A Winter’s Tale (Phoenix Theatre )
Sharese Salters (Sound Designer)
Taj Rauch (Projection Designer)
Alex Dembner (Assistant Projection Designer)
Troy Martin-O'Shia (Production Electrician)
Joe Fasciano (Technical Director)
Anna Sorrentino (Costume Shop Manager)
V Perlah-Hard (Wardrobe Supervisor)
Holly Fasciano (Scenic Artist)
CAST
Ryan Alise (The Lady in Red)(she/her) is a Junior Vocal Performance major. Past UArts credits include Terms of Endearment and W.I.T.S (ensemble), but she's also been a part of many directing scene showcases. Not to mention, a background vocalist for several Senior Recitals in the Vocal Department.
Khenadi Christmas (The Lady in Brown)(they/she) is a Senior Musical Theater major, and is so excited to be in this show with this beautiful, black cast! Past UArts credits include: Hot Spot (Naomi), All At Once (Margaret), and Head Over Heels (Pamela). Many thanks to their LA family for coming to see FCG. Now, let’s dance!
Chloe' Knight (The Lady in Green, Dance Captain) is a Senior Acting major and Songwriting minor here at UArts. She is also the vice president of the Black Student Union on campus and strives to change our university for the better. She proudly made her campus debut in “La Vida Luka” and has since done Terms of Endearment as “Someone”, “Mrs. Dial” in WITS and Titania in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. “For Colored Girls” holds a special place in Chloe’s heart because it speaks to so many experiences and feelings that society has challenged not only her with, but all of us. She is excited to play “The Lady In Green” and tell the story of beautiful black women everywhere.
Samiya Mclean (The Lady in Yellow) is a Freshman Acting major. I am so excited to be apart of this process!
Makiela Mauney-Brooks (The Lady in Orange) is a Freshman Musical Theater major! She began her theater training in Washington D.C. at 4 years old through summer camp communities. Now a graduate of the Theater Department at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She often performed in department showcases, trained in acting, and assisted backstage with various Ellington productions. Along with the occasional musical, she’s also performed at The Kennedy Center and The National Gallery of Art. In her theatrical career, she hopes to nurture her training, knowledge, and love for musical theater while collaborating with her peers.
Nyannah Walker (The Lady in Blue)(she/her) playing The Lady In Blue, is a Junior Musical Theater major. Past UArts credits include, Terms of Endearment, WITS, and now FCG. Alongside being the director of the UArts Gospel Choir, Nyannah has been apart of many Senior recitals, and Cabarets. She is very excited to be apart of yet another all black cast at UArts. “Being surrounded by beautiful souls who look just like me, makes all the difference when it comes to the work I do as an actor”. My hope for the audience is that this production will open your eyes and hearts to the true ins and outs of a Black Womans Journey through life.
Arianna Clark (The Lady in Purple)(she/her) is a Freshman Musical Theater major. This is her very first production at UArts and she’s very excited to be apart of this with such an amazing cast and team. She is Delaware based so you may have seen her previously at the Wilmington Drama League or Milburn Stone Theater. Arianna would like to thank her friends and family for their support and hopes you enjoy “For Colored Girls”.
Music Recorded By
Nyannah Walker
Aubryanna Martinez
Chloe’ Knight
Ryan Alise
Juneé
Nari-Yella
CREW
Meredith Trzaskawka
Cassidy Summerville
Stevie Reynolds
Paige Mullen
Ella MacLaren
Noah Haren
Hazel Foley
Alexis Castro
Osyrus Brewer
Sophia Rowland
Special Thanks to: Joshua Maxwell, Amy Kaissar, Ken Kaissar, Art Muhammad, JayCertified, Megan Jones, Phaedra Scott, Aanika Allen, Qaddriyah Tongori, Amy Dugas-Brown
About: In this celebration of the power of Black womanhood, seven women share their stories and find strength in each other’s humor and passion through a fusion of poetry, dance, music, and song that explodes off the stage and resonates with all.
Content Disclosures: Sexually Explicit Movement, Explicit Language, Conversation about Abortion, Violence Against Children, Conversation about Sex Work, Domestic Violence
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists
University of the Arts
Kerry Walk, President
Kikau Alvaro, Interim Dean, Ira Brind School of Theater Arts
Aanika Allen, Assistant Dean, Ira Brind School of Theater Arts
Madison Claus, Senior Administrative Assistant
Krista Apple, Program Director, Acting
Amy Dugas Brown, Program Director, Directing, Playwriting and Production
Thom Weaver, Interim Program Director, Theater Design & Technology
Jacob Brent, Interim Program Director, Musical Theater
Quinn Bauriedel, Program Director, Pig Iron School MFA in Devised Performance
Nick Embree, Associate Professor
Sarah Sanford, Assistant Professor
Issac Byrne, Visiting Assistant Professor
Kyle Metzger, Visiting Assistant Professor
Lindsay Cram, Director of Production
Joe Fasciano, Technical Director
Troy Martin-O’Shia, Production Electrician
Anna Sorrentino, Costume Shop Manager
Larry Fowler, Sound Practicum Instructor
Chris Haig, Technical Practicum Instructor
Rebecca Kanach, Costume Practicum Instructor
Juliana Luber, Audience Services Coordinator