What happens when a director puts seven intelligent, spirited and talented young women on one stage simultaneously? The result is likely a “colorful” production.
That is what co-directors Herb Parker and Nakeisha Daniel hope to achieve when the East Tennessee State University Division of Theatre presents Ntozake Shange’s choreo-poem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Feb. 23-26 at the Bud Frank Theatre in Gilbreath Hall.
Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 for ETSU students with ID and $10 for all others.
American Sign Language interpretation for the hearing-impaired will be provided during Thursday’s show.
The production depicts the lives of seven women and the hardships they endure as they search for their own identity and find love for themselves. Each woman represents a different color of the rainbow: brown, yellow, purple, red, green, blue and orange.
“This is truly a celebration of women,” said Parker, a professional actor who came to ETSU from New York.
“This is a very uplifting piece for women. (It) is about seven women telling their side of their stories. These women have dealt with many issues in their lifetimes and feel comfortable with the other women in sharing their stories. We want women to find, discover and embrace love for themselves when they watch this play.”
ETSU freshman Jillian Pace, who plays Lady in Blue, believes that all the women in the production can relate to their characters. “I read the script and loved it,” she said. “This is a very powerful play. I hope that the people who see it will be able to relate to the stories.”
Part of the thrill of working on For Colored Girls, cast members said, is learning from the two professional directors, both of whom are relatively new to ETSU.
“Working with Herb Parker and Nakeisha Daniel has been so great,” Pace said. “(Parker) is used to the big stages and the powerful plays. I love his New York style. He certainly knows what he is doing.”
The directors’ theatre experience has helped the young actors quickly develop their talents.
Dina Savvenas, a graduate student in storytelling at ETSU, said that working with Parker has helped her hone her acting skills.
“Herb is a man of few words, but what he says really counts,” said Savvenas, who is on the stage for the first time and hopes her storytelling background will assist her in the play, in which she portrays the Lady in Purple.
“I want to bring together storytelling with theatre,” she said.
Safiya Johnson, who holds a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in theatre from ETSU, where she is now in her first year of graduate school, said her experience in theatre and the guidance of Parker and Daniel have helped her prepare for her role as the Lady in Brown.
“Herb breaks everything down,” she said. “Nakeisha is very straight-forward and to the point. Both bring a different area of expertise to the show.”
Most of the women have never worked with each other before.
“The play will be new and fresh, and is a good starting point for women at ETSU,” said Erin Scowden, who has been acting since she was 4 and recently moved to the area as a junior at the university.
The speech major with a concentration in theatre said she is excited about her role as the Lady in Green. “I am having a wonderful time working with the other ladies in the play,” she said.
The Lady in Red will be played by Elizabeth Choate, a junior majoring in speech with a concentration in theatre. She has been in numerous ETSU productions, including Picnic, Children of a Lesser God and The Crucible.
Her character in For Colored Girls has been through many “issue-riddled” relationships, but will try to overcome the problems, she said.
Choate has been in classes at ETSU with Parker. “I love working with both Parker and Daniels,” she said.
“Nakeisha is smart and creative, and brings out the best in every actor. She is very thorough in her teaching of different characters.”
Another cast member with acting experience is DeVonne Stewart, a criminal justice major at ETSU, who plays the Lady in Yellow. She loves being on stage and hopes to continue acting after the show.
“I feel very comfortable on stage,” Stewart said. “I acted in high school, and it is something I enjoy doing.”
Each woman seems to have found something tangible and relative in her character.
“I think all women can relate to a different color represented in the play,” said Lady in Orange, Nonie Bennah, another newcomer to ETSU productions.
“Hopefully the people who see the play, both men and women, will be able to learn from (the characters’) experiences.”
As this “rainbow” of unique women expresses feelings and shares loves and laughs, the cast and directors hope the experiences touch a chord in audience members.
“I want people to see the play and be able to express their thoughts and feelings to other people,” said Daniel, a member of the Charleston (S.C.) Stage Company.
“We hope people will find themselves by watching the stories from the girls.”
For reservations or more information, call the Division of Theatre box office at 439-7576.

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