Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Scott's production (which is designed by Courtney O'Neill) feels more about linking Shange's work with Court's classical tradition - which is to say the ancient establishment of approved voices. Scott is linking Shange to current, young writers like Jeremy O. Harris, scribes compelled by these very issues of power and complicity. Who gets to tell whose story? With what level of amplification? And how fairly will the narratives be judged?"
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...It's a work that remains to this day hard to categorize, although it anticipated and inspired so much that followed - from the popularization of slam poetry and confessional monologues to Terry McMillan's black female romance novel protagonists, to the contemporary language of self-love, to the poetic dialogue and form-defying qualities of playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, not to mention a 2010 Tyler Perry film of the same name - that it also feels familiar."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Director Seret Scott, who was part of the original Broadway cast, infuses the script with vitality, prescience, and universality by casting actors who are versatile enough to embody the broad range of perspectives in the script. This is a play for girls of all colors of the rainbow. Jubilant childhood patty-cake games like "Shortnin' Bread" delightfully morph into stepping. Later we are treated to traditional African dance and a heartbreaking contemporary solo by Leah Casey, whose movement expresses the pain of strong women who hide behind a facade so that the world will accept them."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...The flow of stories and the shifting mixes of ladies bespeak Scott’s sure-handed direction. But the sense of coherence in this nonlinear play is also strengthened by the Homeric performance of Melody Angel as Lyric – versatile commentator-cum-accompanist as singer, guitarist and drummer."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended
"...The play, For Colored Girls, is still one of the best theatrical plays written about the plight of the African-American woman, and the ladies at Court Theater makes this version a MUST-SEE!"
WTTW - Highly Recommended
"...Watching the electrifying revival of the work now on stage at Court Theatre serves as a vivid reminder of that moment in time. It also suggests that despite all that has changed in the more than four decades since "For Colored Girls" was published in 1974, and became a hit at New York's Public Theatre and then on Broadway a couple of years later, those themes remain as potent as ever."
Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended
"...It seems to us that some of the stories might have been experienced by some of the ladies on stage. Although the acting was awesome, we felt a sense of realism beyond good theater pulsing into the audience. This was indicated by the volleys of ooohs and ahhhs and uh-huhs of the crowd. There is no greater tribute to a cast than to evoke such a reaction. So if you happen to be looking for a hard, gritty look at eight different viewpoints of pivotal moments in the lives of several women of color, come check out for colored girls...you will see them converge both physically and metaphorically from their emotional perches on the edge of several ugly big cities to bring you their sad, earthy and mundane stories. The fact that they are still around to tell their stories is a sign of hopefulness for all to take home. We highly recommend this production."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The Court Theatre is reviving "Colored Girls" for a too brief run, displaying again what caused so much excitement and discussion nearly 40 years ago. The show retains its one-of-a-kind artistic brilliance and, unfortunately, its searing exploration of what it was to exist in a racist and sexist society remains relevant."
Rescripted - Highly Recommended
"...For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange is a vibrant tribute to the transitional power of the Black femme. The moment we step into the abandoned train station at Court Theatre, we know we are in a space full with the possibility of movement and growth. Directed by Seret Scott, who took over the role of Lady in Orange in the original Broadway production, this beautiful production moves with purpose."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Described by author Ntozake Shange as a "choreopoem" it beautifully blends poetry, music, song, dance and movement to tell the story of eight women of color and the challenges and cruelties they face every day. Instead of a traditional plot, it presents a series of poems and stories designed to inspire the audience to tap into the multifaceted emotional experiences of each woman with enormous success."
