Play depicting the bonds of friendship.
(Review by Pauline Dalais)
The
award winning play, for colored girls who
have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf… by Ntozake Shange was
recently staged by Role Models Talent at the BAT Centre.
The production depicts the bonds of
friendship. The cast is made up of seven females dressed in different coloured
skirts and there are seven chairs on the stage with each girl having her own
story to tell. These are told in poetic fashion, with game playing, dancing and
giggles.
The girls reminisce on their pasts, talk
about their joys, triumphs, dating, failed relationships, struggles and loss of
loved ones. They chat about losing their virginity and mock and tease as one
describes giving up her virginity in the backseat of a Buick. They have fun and
break out into dance to the song Dancing
in the Street.
“The Lady in Pink” told her story of rape
and how hard it is to press charges against a friend. It hurts to be betrayed
by men who know us. One of the ladies has an imaginary dream man, Tusson, who
is a character from a novel.
They recite a beautiful mantra, with each
lady adding onto it “My love is too beautiful to have thrown back in my face,
my love is too delicate to have thrown back in my face, my love is too magic to
have thrown back into my face, my love is too complicated to have thrown back
into my face…
We experience the emotions of betrayal and
hurt with a failed relationship. The lady demands: “I want my stuff back! Give
me my own things! Give me my memories! Somebody almost walked off with all my
stuff! I want my stuff back!”
They bitterly talk about all the excuses
men use after abuse on women. The … “I’m sorry, I love you, I never meant to
hurt you…”
My favourite of the ladies was “The Lady in
Red” who recites a poem, I found God in
myself. She refers to God as female.
We hear the tale of how Crystal fell
pregnant aged 13. He denied the baby. Then Crystal foolishly fell pregnant
again! This was an on/off relationship. Years later, he proposes and Crystal
refuses to marry him. He is abusive. She
gets a court order against him. Sadly her life is shattered with fatalities.
The play
was directed by local theatre practitioner and agent, Ian Gareth Hadfield, and features
an exciting young cast comprising Noluthando Kubeka, Ndalo Mchunu, Slindo
Zondo, Yolanda Glover, Zama Mbanjwa, Nelly Ntaka, and Phumelele Majola.
Further
information from Ian Gareth Hadfield of Role Models on 078 901 8661 or info@role-models.co.za – Pauline Dalais
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