I had a chance to check out “Thoughts of a Colored Man” by Keenan Scott II at Baltimore Center Stage (playing now through Nov 10 ). The play amplifies various voices of Black men, while offering glances into the fabric of their souls. Watching the characters go through life events while challenging inner thoughts and struggles is very reminiscent of Ntozake Shange’s 1975 original choreopoem “For Colored Girls…” The key thing is, it’s Black men telling their stories and how they view life.
Ok I’m not going to spoil the plot and character development for you, so just know that one of the greatest takeaways from “Thoughts of a Colored Man” is that Black men need space to face themselves, build their lives and assert their humanity in a society that often deems otherwise. There are more takeaways, but you’ll REALLY need to go see it for yourself.
“Thoughts of a Colored Man” is deep, heavy and humorous at the same time. The irony of the funniest character, is that he had me on the floor laughing in the theater and up all night thinking hours later in bed. See it even sounds like a good date. BTW you’ll also see some familiar faces among the cast, including Ryan Jamaal Swain that plays “Damon” on Pose on FX.
Alrighty that said, I was so into the post play talkback that I hardly recorded much of playwright Keenan Scott II’s responses. But here’s a little from last night. Scott reminisces about the origins of “Thoughts of a Colored Man” during his days as a student at Frostburg State University in Western Maryland. Baltimore Center Stage Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships Robyn Murphy discusses the importance of bringing productions highlighting the Black male experience to Charm City, especially in the days following the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings.
RANDOM NOTE: The funniest yet sincere moment for me was after the show when a fellow theater goer asked me what is Jack and Jill and why that struck a nerve with the audience?
