A Review of the Play, Thoughts of a Colored Man, at Baltimore Center Stage

I recently saw Thoughts of a Colored Man, the second play of the 2019/2020 season at Baltimore Center Stage. This play is written by Keenan Scott III and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III with co-production with Syracuse Stage. Per Keenan Scott II, “I’ve lived in New York and in Maryland. I’ve lived in the inner city, a suburb and a rural area. This play is influenced by my upbringing and the things I have experienced in and out of my community in these locations.”

In this play, there were seven facets of the Black man (wisdom, passion, depression, lust, happiness, love, and anger) that were explored over one day in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood in New York City. Although I had the program which indicated which actor played which part, I wanted to watch the play and guess which facet they each represented. I was right most of the time, but there were moments when an actor exhibited more than one facet (e.g. wisdom and love and happiness; happiness and depression; depression and anger, passion and love, etc.).

I loved the scenes in and outside the barbershop, the subway station, the supermarket, etc. where the actors showcased their various roles. Actor Jerome Preston Bates represented WISDOM, teaching the young fellas to have respect not only for themselves but for each other even if they didn’t subscribe to the same thoughts or ideas. Actor Brandon Dion Gregory represented PASSION which he exhibited for his wife and his soon to be role as a new father. Actor Forrest McClendon represented DEPRESSION, having to work a job at the Whole Foods forsaking going to MIT to take care of his mother and younger brother.

Actor Reynaldo Piniella represented LUST oh so well chasing after women without regard for anything else. Actor Jody Reynard represented HAPPINESS having a fantastic job and being able to live in a newly gentrified neighborhood and not having to worry about money. Actor Ryan Jamaal Swain represented LOVE quite the opposite of LUST where he wants to know a woman and what she’s about. Actor Garrett Turner represented ANGER having lost the ability to play pro basketball because of an injury but teaches young boys how to play.

The imagery represented on stage through poetry, music, and dance gave the audience a glimpse into their brotherhood and an understanding of what it means to be a Black man in today’s society. As a woman of color, it was refreshing to see Black men having a dialogue amongst themselves and supporting each other. It was also refreshing to see them being depicted as more than criminals, thugs, and addicts. They are multi-dimensional, they love, they hurt, they lust, they experience depression, they are simply MORE.

So, get your tickets today! It’s definitely a must see show which is playing now through November 10, 2019.

Synopsis taken from https://www.centerstage.org/plays-and-events/mainstage/thoughts-of-a-colored-man

ONE THEME, SEVEN VARIATIONS

A world-premiere play from Keenan Scott II, one of today’s boldest new voices, Thoughts of a Colored Man blends language, music, and dance. Welcome to the vibrant inner life of being Black, proud, and thriving in the 21st Century. Set over a single day, this richly theatrical mosaic goes beyond the rhythms of the basketball court and the boisterousness of the barbershop to shed brilliant light into the hearts and minds of a community of men searching for their most triumphant selves.