Student actors explore Black pain and sisterhood in spring performance

content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide or self harm.

The University of Maryland School of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies performed the play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow is ENUF” in the Kay Theatre at the Clarice Smith Performing Art Center on February 21st.

From childhood to teens and eventually adulthood, the play expresses the trajectory of what Black women go through in society – the joy and the tears.

The play was based on the choreopoem, a form of expression that combines dance, poetry and music, written by Ntozake Shange. It explored the lives of seven Black women and their different traumas.

The stage was decorated by gold curtains reflecting off the stage lights. A large sun hung from the ceiling and gold rotating panels made up the stage floor.

As the lights dimmed, seven Black performers entered the stage. Each wearing a specific color: yellow, red, orange, purple, blue, green and brown. Each color represents a different story. The characters in the play confronted rape, being HIV positive, neglect –, all the while discovering the true strength of sisterhood.

Performers danced throughout the play to hip-hop tracks, even getting off stage at one point and dancing along the alley, hyping up the audience. The sun stage decorations matched the colors of the different performers’ outfits on stage.

Throughout the play the performers showcased sisterhood by affirming one another through their interactions it showed the importance of having friendships and community. By the end, the audience members had tears in their eyes as people rose to their feet to cheer.

Medhanit Desta, a junior double majoring in economics and theater, played the lady in yellow. She mentioned her experiences as a child with immigrant parents and growing up as a black woman in society and the journey of growing into loving herself.

“This show is healing something in all of us,” Desta said. “It’s helping me learn more about myself; it’s helping me become more proud of myself and my heritage.”

Fatima Quander, co-director of the play, talks about her experience with having a Dominican mom.
“I personally don’t use the term African American because I have all these other kinds of Blackness that is a part of me”. Quander said.

She says that her Hispanic heritage doesn’t diminish her Blackness, it’s a balance.“I claim my Blackness whether I’m speaking English or Spanish. Black is beautiful, Black is complex, Black is not a monolith and the thing that connects us all together is that we are all black from many different places,” Quander said.