FOR COLORED BOYZ on the verge of nervous breakdown/ when freedom aint enuff
______
A choreopoem in 2 Acts
by
Bryan-Keyth Wilson
© April 30, 2020 (979) 877-1040 P.O. Box 374 La Marque, TX 77568 [email protected]
FOR COLORED BOYZ
ACT I
Lights fade up on a bare stage with five silhouetted figures scattered in space. Lights come up at different times with the actors dancing reflecting movement from different time periods. “DNA” by Kendrick Lamar begins to play.
man in black in the beginning there was me running barefoot on the ivory coast
man in orange skin black as onyx/ hair soft as lambs wool a careless disposition…
man in blue free from judgment/ labels and phylums my likeness is described in the holy book but its my true identity you took
man in green i am here in the present
2 FOR COLORED BOYZ looking back theres resentment pride and strength whipped outta me
man in red your slave training and brainwashing affects us today in the present i draw strength from the ancestors so here i am
man in green outside baltimore
man in red outside north charleston
man in black outside ferguson
man in orange im in sanford
man in blue im in houston
man in green im your son
man in blue your father
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man in red your brother
man in orange your husband
man in black your lover
all your friend
The dancers walk aggressively in a circle. Each actor runs off one by one. Two actors remain on stage. One actor is a slave and the other is the slave hunter.
man in black the sway of the slave boat carried the weary souls of my people filled with africans from bow to stern
man in blue days on end i sit in darkness void of light
man in black excrement/ vomit and urine linger we sit drinking the salty water thoughts void of civilization/ only humiliation
4 FOR COLORED BOYZ mothers weeping for their babies men silenced by fear my left leg shackled to his right my hands purposely restrained longing for Awondo’s rays on my onyx stained skin i just sit on this ship now we stand awondos rays hurt my very eyes this is not our homeland men and women with skin like snow watch us closely and we stand there/ examined and looked over we are livestock/ their animals the property of massah
The men begin to walk in a straight line as if they are sold at auction. Slaves master enter and examine each slave. Once he purchases his slave Man in Orange and Man in Black exit and the other men begin to pick cotton and sing.
man in blue/ red NORA, NORA, LET ME COME IN DO’S ALL FAST’NED AN’ DE WINDERS PINNED KEEP YO’ HAN’ ON DAT PLOW HOLD ON!
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IF YOU WANT TO GET TO HEBBIN I TELL YA HOW KEEP YOUR HAN’ ON DAT GOSPEL PLOW KEEP YO’ HAN’ ON-A DAT PLOW AN’ HOLD ON.
man in black yessah i’s bin werkin since earlee dis moanin dis field don’ bought massah a plenty fortune oh yeah/ we don bring in bout 5000 pounds of dis here cotton rekon dat be’s a lot we werk hard and Massah dont care how you feel get out here and get dat cotton pick he say young/ ole/ sick or wit chile yous get out herein dis here field and werk
Man in Green sneaks off. he treat me right/ i rekon not like massah jacksun down dat way dont make his numbers yous gets lashes my daughtah ovah at jacksuns plantation he treat her mighty bad we seent each other near sutton general stoe she look froze and mute i’s seent it in hur eyes juss lay dere / don’t fight or he will kill ya look in her eyes was confuse / angry it juss the life we got/ accept it or die
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after so many years of lashes not eating/ nd mo lashes i gots tired of dreaming you wakes up when dat cat o’ 9 tils touch ya skin dreaming dat dis here would soon be ovah its da life God don give us/ so stop fighting and stop dreaming wont do nothing but get you in trouble i sits and thank about my daughtah if she alright if she dead or not aint heard from hur in a spell just hope she listen dis here niggah just didn’t listen He points in the air told dat fool he needed to keep quiet all dat talk about escaping and being free got him hanging from dat tree massah got eyes an’ ears round dis plantation think these damn songs got to his head the dream of the slave is to work in dis here fields did he listen/ no massah got him hangin from dat oak right in the middle of the slave quarters reminding you niggahs what happens when you dream
He looks up at the tree, shakes his head, starts to laugh, and
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walks away.
man in black/ man in red NIGGER WANNA RUN AN TRY TO BE FREE MASSAH GONNA HAVE YOU HANGIN FROM DAT TREE KEEP YO’ HAN’ ON-A DAT PLOW AN’ HOLD ON
man in orange daddy died never saw life outside of this plantation he believed the life we had/ we had to accept i didnt believe that my older brother on the other hand carried the traits of our father/ he didn’t want to leave i was different/ so was baby brother we wanted to see the world i moved to paris to become a chef baby brother moved to harlem/ became a musician hangin out with those slick harlem niggahs but he just stayed here and worked became a sharecropper/ and refused to leave
man in blue all this land/ i couldnt leave it we was free and still treated like slaves daddy did some sharecropping nd saved every penny i learned the way of the land my brothers couldnt handle it here in the south uppity niggas with a vision
8 FOR COLORED BOYZ my vision was to provide for my family i was the oldest with a wife and two boys i had to be an example i couldnt go exploring and blowing no damn trumpet i sure as hell couldn’t pack up everything and go to paris daddy left me this here land and i tend to it i am going to leave it to my boys/ hope they
He enters ready to board a ship
man in orange seek life outside of the south/ get tha hell away look at that ship right there it moves with power nd purpose on a destination to who knows where taking people on an adventure i aint been on no ship before but i want to id sit down there on the pier and watch those big ships i hoped and prayed one day i could get on one nd never look back i didnt take a liking to the heat i was too good looking to be sweatin like a mule so i learned to cook like my mama fresh biscuits/ collard greens/ nd homemade bread even learned how to fix clothes she told me that when i got married i wasnt going to be a burden to no woman hell/ little did she know/ i aint like women no way saved my pocket change and went to the a&p they used to publish recipes in the newspaper i learned/ nd read them all
9 FOR COLORED BOYZ i wanted to speak french nd cook for dignitaries daddy said i was just like them slaves on the plantation papa a dit que j'étais comme eux des esclaves dans la plantation just another niggah with a vision finally i got on that ship and never
Man enters with a trumpet.
man in red looked back hell/ i headed north on the first thing smoking my middle brother went to paris i wanted the big city if you werent in harlem you werent nowhere the music/ women/ and the culture was on the rise negroes was doing it big oscar micheaux had negro films in white theaters black folk set the bar for artistic excellence i knew that i had to be there too nd this was going to be my ticket (pulls out trumpet)
th on 125 men were in suits/ wearing hats nd shiny shoes ladies wore seam stockings nd gloves nothing like the women in the south negroes were making it happen for themselves doors were getting shut in our faces downtown so we got it jumping uptown even white folks were trying to come into our clubs the cotton club/ mintons playhouse were the hotspots harlem had a sound of its own/ nd I was a part of it this is where americas music was birthed
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daddy got it for me and regretted it ever since this thing here would be paying my bills i started in ellingtons band jammed with lawrence brown on the trombone willie smith on sax nd dave black on the drums i became a resident of niggerati manor the world was changing black people were making history nd jazz was the soundtrack of our lives
He pulls out his trumpet and begins to play. Man in Orange and Man in Blue enter with Man in Green playing football. The sound of a train is heard in the distance.
man in green every night we had a ritual mama made dinner/ three place settings me/ mama and mr steve tonight there were only two he’s working late mama said leave it to beaver went off took a shower and went to bed i’d lay in bed wondered what life was like on mapleton dr everything was perfect the perfect house/ the perfect dinner and the perfect family
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jackie went to college/ i had this room to myself at night i’d grab my book from under my pillow nd with every page the sway of slumber fell
Man in Black enters i was awakened by a hand over my mouth was i dreaming i was suffocating taking short shallow breaths i couldn’t make out the face i struggled, and felt the prickly goatee mr. steve was standing over me with no pants on
man in black if you scream i’ll kill you
man in green he whispered softly the demonic voice paralyzed me i didn’t want to die he looked different and smelled of old grape juice and kerosene he started to touch me/ like i was mama my instinct was to fight but i was frozen with 200 pounds on my back he made me touch his private parts no/ i cant/ this is wrong i’m your stepson how could you
12 FOR COLORED BOYZ i resisted/ he embraced my throat tighter he was in control and there was nothing i could do i was weakened by the lack of air the train whistle brought me back to reality but he was still there on me i focused on the creaking of the steel and rumble of the house my face buried deep in the pillow thinking of mapleton dr. he finished and stumbled out of the room i cried myself to sleep mamas voice woke me and the smell of pancakes the sweet smell couldnt pacify the pain nd emptiness maybe he was gone forever/ that was my prayer but there he stood husband-like with an air of cockiness wearing an apron / father of the year i suppose because he cooked breakfast was this guilt for missing dinner or what he did to me his stare filled with regret and my demeanor stale and disconnected chocolate chip pancakes wasn’t going to erase this i was frozen in time and couldn’t move or speak making eye contact would confirm last night’s events i looked away
13 FOR COLORED BOYZ every second in his presence/ the anger boiled i was going to tell her/ but my tongue was lifeless mama knew something was wrong i stared at the plate of food i could feel his eyes on me piercing through the core of my soul the meetings were frequent i got accustomed to it i disconnected my body from my mind i thought about that train life on mapleton dr. a white picket fence and a two story house daddy standing there hugging me after i got off the bus the reality of life’s circumstance stared me in the face the next morning father-like/ with a strange-love for his stepson i thought about carrying a knife to bed end it all kill him/ or kill myself i am going to get on that train ride it as far as the tracks will go
He sits down and begins to write a letter. im leaving and she needs to know why
Mama,
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When I thought of death and suicide, I knew it was time for me to leave. I have been silenced by the fear of death and the constant threats of your husband. Night after night I lay in bed and he comes in drunk and he molests me. Touching me kissing me like I am you. And night after night I carried a knife under my pillow wondering if I should use it on him or me. But tonight I have to leave this place I love you, and hope to hear from you one day. and that was it i folded the letter and put it in her purse that was the only place he wouldn’t look when he was passed out i jumped out of the window ran to the train station and never looked back i was determined to find a life like the one on mapleton dr.
The men enter dancing as if they are the Temptations. Man in Red enters with a broom dancing and singing to the Temptations “My Girl.” He uses the broom as a microphone then he begins to slow dance with the broom and talking sweetly to the broom.
man in red you like how im holding you oh no/ baby girl don’t be shy now
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There’s a noise off stage and starts cleaning. Music fades out. mama
man in blue what
man in red i was wonderin since my chores are done can i go to the sock-hop at menefees café
Man in Blue i dont know about that will harold johnson be there
man in red no ma'am i know/ i know harold johnson is nothing but trouble ever since we got in dat trouble at coopers bar-b-que pit he aint been nowhere/ so i can go
man in blue i dont know
man in red see… He begins to talk to the audience
16 FOR COLORED BOYZ harold johnson was a big ole mean niggah smelled like peanut butter/ bologna and gym socks he stood 6’3 and 300 pounds he thought he was big shit/ and liked to pick fights so larry mercer come up in the parking lot riding his shiny new Huffy with the brown banana seat stanky ass harold puffed up his chest and said ima take dat bike niggah aww shit/ i said in my head you knew what was going to happen in my mind i said run niggah run he didnt/ ole stupid ass it was like a stranded car on a train track we was nosey and watched me/ ray/ curtis and junebug wanted to dash we were standing there/ scared as hell! larry mercer wasnt going down without a fight he kicked stanky ass harold in the nuts gave him a two piece one to the jaw and the other to the ribs larry gon’ have the nerve to ask us for help this niggah was out his mind harold Johnson had a big ass family/ nd they all was fighters his sister hilda was built like chevy truck i jumped back looked over at ray/ curtis nd Junebug with the niggah let’s run face
17 FOR COLORED BOYZ there come ms. cooper with a big ass butcher knife aint never seen a niggah run so fast in all my life look over and there junebug don pissed on himself nd before I knew it she pulled me by the ear and/ she said
man in black look here/ I know yo people best leave that harold johnson alone ain’t nothing but trouble
man in red at that moment i realized all black people knew each other and you’re as good as the company you keep i had to reassure mama we were in good hands down there she got them three crazy sons that keep a good eye on us gerald/ ivory and meme all stand at the doe/ perched and fixed looking for any foolishness that may go on/ i learned my lesson can i go
man in blue yes/ but let me tell you now if i gotta come down there for some foolishness i am gonna beat ya ass in frontah all ya friends need any change
man in red i still got that 85 cents tonight is going to be all in i’m gonna wear my levis my blue paisley butterfly collar shirt
18 FOR COLORED BOYZ and this bad leather coat mama said/ i looked like richard roundtree but no mustache i sapped some murrays grease/ nd the blue beast you know aqua velva even though i didn't shave yet i at least smell like I did i saw the way my mama act when my daddy wore it she’d get all giddy and childlike saved my 85 cents and went to weingarten’s bought my first bottle i told ray/ curtis nd Junebug to meet me at coopers had to get my jack cookies and a cold pop the whole time we walked to menefees we talked about charlene/ shirley hot lips ford nd mary-jean figaro these were the hottest chicks at lincoln high school pulled out my aqua velva and let the fellas use some didnt want to smell like peanut butter/ bologna nd gym socks we walked in the door and ms. cooper said
man in orange y’all smell like some harlem sissies
man in red but this stuff was catnip for the ladies
Lights change and we are taken to a converted restaurant that is now a sock hop circa 1966. “Shotgun” by Jr. Walker and the All-Stars plays and the boys begin to dance at the
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sock hop. the sound was loud menefees had the best music the temptations/ martha and the vandellas jr. walker and the all-stars my excitement was evident bobbin my head and snapping my fingers we walked up to the café/ and just like I thought there was gerald/ ivory nd meme, standing at the door mean-muggin and taking our change ready to handle you if you stepped outta line i handed gerald my money/ made no eye contact mrs. menefee had this place decked out like that dance show shindig kids were dancing and going to town like the shindig dancers doing the jerk/ funky chicken/ hully gully nd watusi mary-jean was swinging out with lawrence i stole a few of my daddys cigarettes went over to the bar and got me a pop mrs. menefee was a cool lady short and stout and carried a pistol under her titty
man in orange henry williams/ what you doing with that cigarette
man in red she reached behind the bar pulled out a bottled coke and opened it for me i didnt make eye contact with her
20 FOR COLORED BOYZ nd put the cigarette out
man in orange boy smoke your cigarette/ i aint gon tell ya mama now go on over there and have a good time ya hear
man in red yes ma’am i took a few sips outta my coke and tried to look cool i was light-headed from the cigarette i felt the tap of dainty fingers on my shoulders nd there was lucille mcafee/ a vestal site
man in blue you wanna dance
man in red for a minute i was mute i couldnt believe that she came up to me this is a dream come true i was practicing all week on how i’d speak to her
man in blue i said do you want to dance
man in red mrs. menefee hit me upside the head with her dish towel it snapped me back into reality yes please i muttered did i just say yes please she led me to the floor and we began to slow drag she smelled like a butterscotch candy
21 FOR COLORED BOYZ she was wearing this pink sleeveless dress with the back out i wrapped my hands around her waist i could feel her beautiful caramel skin soft to the touch like chinese silk “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” by Otis Redding fades up and the boys pantomime dancing with women. i looked over and there was junebug all up on shirley curtis with mary-jean ray with that crazy girl from galveston we gave each other the thumbs up tonight we were men/ nd on top of the world i walked with a newfound confidence. the pimp-walk you walk and move ya arms like you fanning a fart we danced/ and with every sway I felt like a grown man i was holding this beautiful girl and she was following my lead but i couldnt stop what was happenin i tried to pull away from her/ because/ ya know
He looks down at his crotch she pulled closer to me i looked uneasy and she did too come on buddy/ go down please the more we dance the more excited he got nd he wasnt listening to me at all i tried to adjust but i wore these tight ass levi jeans
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oh my god henry williams, you are so gross she ran to the bathroom the girls followed nd there i was in the middle of the dance floor/ with a hard-on
Edwin Starr’s “War” fades in. Men silhouetted on the stage begin to march like soldiers on the battlefield. One soldier steps out of the line and the lights fade to black on the soldiers. A young man walks out from the soldiers holding books and begins to speak.
man in orange i was in my first year at texas southern university with big plans in mind i was the first in my family to go to college i wanted to be like thurgood marshall nd floyd b. mckissick i wanted to stand in the gap for my people not just be a voice/ but be heard the vietnam war was full-on the world was in turmoil blacks were still the low man on the totem pole and equality was the focus no matter how progressive the world was the plight of the negro was stagnate
23 FOR COLORED BOYZ i dodged the draft the only boy in my family our young men were shipped over there to fight for what i wouldnt have gone i woulda been in the cell next to ali like he said/ no viet cong never called me nigger they never lynched me they never put no dogs on me our world started to change music and literature ignited creative voices marvin called on mercy freda begged for them to come home we were at war with the viet cong but the true war was in the backyard the lottery began
man in black 101
man in blue 185
man in green 220
man in orange your reward a few glorious weeks of basic training
24 FOR COLORED BOYZ then a wonderful vacation to the jungle other consolation prizes/ a m-16 nd camo three digits that determined your longevity on earth boys left and never came back
man in blue 176
man in orange Llves snuffed out from the lottery the ones that came back werent the same
man in black 214
man in orange look at henry/ bright eyed and optimistic now he wakes up to maddening screams hands around his wifes throat lost in his dreams the solace of night becomes his nightmare there were days i’d stroll through the old hood seeing junebug nd ray
man in green 145
Man in Blue 122
man in orange the look of fear and emptiness in their eyes
25 FOR COLORED BOYZ those three digits
man in red 109
man in green 128
man in orange happy days of laughter at menefees nd running women/ now an erased memory
man in green 212
man in black 107
man in orange the domino theory led to the demise of american men black and white black men discharged dishonorably nd now homelessness is their sin all because uncle sam took them in yeah i know to them i am just an educated niggah but it is my voice that will be a trigger
As the scene transitions into a museum the men onstage are confused as to where the voice is coming from. A sign is revealed
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that reads: The National Museum of Male Negro History is shown.
A Man in Black Good evening and welcome to the National Museum of Male Negro History. Now on this exhibit you might be inclined to walk with a limp, talk with slang and sag your pants. As we walk through this live exhibition you might feel slight oppression with a tinge of racial profiling. But ignore those feelings. Oh and not to mention the burdening plight to work harder than white people just to be looked upon as an equal. By the end of this exhibition you may have a rebellious spirit with an angry persona that will follow. White women will clinch their purses when you walk by, you will be reduced to your athleticism and machismo and what's between your legs. From the days of the big house to the courthouse black men are big business. They've been trained by Willie Lynch and they’ve earned PHd's in black on black violence and self hate. The nigrum masculum has been the most sought out human of all time. The cognition of this specimen astonishes many. The hyper masculinity they've acquired is quite impressive. There are a few in here who don't belong but because we're in need of these magnificent human treasures we find ways to ensure they have an all expense paid stay here at the museum.
You see there's not many in the free world hence the reason we must hold these here in captivity. To study. To train! To enhance their training.
(He takes off his jacket, puts a piece of straw in his mouth and puts on a straw hat like that of a slave owner in the fields. Young men are lined up and start walking in.)
As you can see we have a few more boys here to add to the exhibition. Now line up boy and say yasss suh!
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(They line up to take their mugshot and in a monotone voice say yass suh.) The sound of a prison cell closing is heard and an inmate enters. He has a pen and pad and sits down in his cell.
Man in Black This is where I spend most of my days -- in this 6 by 8 penthouse suite. I wake up at 5 am. I go to work, do some reading and then back to my house. That’s the routine I’ve had for the last 15 years. I served eight years in the Marines and now I am serving 60 years for a crime I didn’t commit. I hope you know that everyone in the pen ain’t guilty. Brothas like Geronimo Pratt, Anthony Graves, Barney Brown, Raymond Towler and Jimmy Bain, all spent over 20 years of their life in a prison for a crime they didn’t commit. The great thing about their stories is that their convictions were overturned, but here I am. I was a supervisor at NASA and on the weekends I came home to check on Mamma and Daddy, and I would hang around with some of the bruhs from the block. I was on my way to work and I was stopped by the police. Said it was a man that matched my description that was coming out of Memorial apartments and this chick ended up dead. They wanted me to come in for questioning, so of course I complied. I called my folks and my daddy immediately got in defense mode. My father was an old guy who grew up during Jim Crow and he had a disdain for white cops. I never thought I would be in this type of situation. It was like a scene from one of those detective movies, and I was the prime suspect. I wasn’t dumb and I knew what was going on, so I was careful with my answers and asked for a lawyer.
A few months later I was indicted for murder. I had faith in the justice system, and I knew that if I just told the truth and showed transparency I would be ok. My lawyer wasn’t as good as I thought. I have never seen a weaker defense presented in the courtroom. As the trial went on, I learned about the lady that was killed -- a crackhead known to smoke with a lot of the bruhs from my hood. It baffles me how in the black community there are
28 FOR COLORED BOYZ hundreds of unsolved cases. Young black women were mutilated, raped and killed, but here I am on trial for the death of this white lady. When you scrape off the proverbial bullshit, the truth is the truth. You can see right now in Ferguson and Baltimore how much they value black men. I think the judicial system should be indicted! Indicted for Manslaughter of the black man, felony possession of hatred and intent to assassinate black men. Days of testimony and a bribed witness later, I was sentenced to 60 years. This was like a scene from Law and Order. I was convicted of murder. I was guilty by association. I didn’t kill that lady. In the past 15 years, I’ve lost a career, my marriage, my children and my father.
When you are locked up you can’t go to a funeral. Furlough is as real as the Easter Bunny. All these people looking at these damn T.V. shows that glorify prison life think it’s a cakewalk. That shit ain’t, you don’t get to eat when you want to. There is no privacy. A fucking C.O. can come up to you at any time and tell yo ass to get naked, bend over, lift ya nuts and spread ya ass cheeks. Your fucking manhood is taken on the first day. I’m not talking about no prison rape. Your manhood and humanity is castrated when you walk through those bars. My mom has been there through it all. She is still standing and it is her strength that helps me get through. She’s a woman who’s lost her husband and had health issues that in some cases would break a person. She is stronger than ever and still fighting for me. Sitting here in this cell can drive you crazy. The sounds. Metal bars hitting each other, the smell. The loneliness. I am mad at the fucking world, and sometimes I want to die! I think about getting that bed sheet, and wrapping it up on that bar over there and just ending it all. I’ve plotted suicide so many times I can’t even count. It’s only when I let that voice in. I think of my daddy, and what he would say to me. Son, this is just a test for your testimony; keep your mind on Jesus. But sometimes I can’t. Being told when to eat, sleep and shit ain’t easy! You’re treated like a damn animal in here. Your life is not your own anymore. I know the scriptures, but I am human! An innocent man stuck in a 6 by 8 cage.
man in green i have learned to count you out dependability something far fetched within the confines of this union
29 FOR COLORED BOYZ a bond/ no/ trust hell no/nd loyalty that thing which fairytales and white night type shit is built on countlessly i’m told that i have to just deal with you for you are just absent minded oh dont mind him you know hes not right in the head shes just stressed well/ today it ends my haphazard spirit is dead gone like nanny in the grave like granny just gone bound together by blood and blood alone family/ oh/ family you throw this word around and use it loosely like a bag of trash sitting on the curb waiting the trash truck just tossed the stench of this kinship needs disposal it needs extermination i have learned to love you from afar this by far is the best decision i’ve made family and foe have joined and formed a relationship that is way bigger than me so i just need to step aside and let you two just be so/ where does this leave us you ask leaves me with a heart void of ache a head void of psychosis nd a demeanor that shines like the son youve lost
Celia Cruz’s “Guantanamera” plays as the Man in Blue enters dancing with
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scarfs doing the Salsa. He notices the audience watching him.
man in blue ¿qué diablos están mirando ¿nunca han visto antes a una mujer elegante ¡mi nombre es coco hemphill st. croix y los espejismos son mi juego tha hell y'all looking at ain’t you ever seen a classy lady before the names coco hemphill st. croix nd illusion is the game black people speak other languages you know now chile dont mind me and my craziness i get all sassy when celia cruz comes on coco hemphill st. croix/ thats my stage name i'm a drag queen before there was rupauls drag race or shangelas halle-loo there was me now wait/ i am not knocking these kids for the things they do but you gotta give credit where its due pepper labeija/ dorian corey/ sylvester nd of course the reigning queen/ rupaul queens who blazed trails in the art of female impersonation i see your posture in your seat another sissy up there making a mockery of the black man/ but honey you are sadly mistaken
31 FOR COLORED BOYZ i have never been or ever wanted to be a woman this is an illusion/ i pay tribute to women a mask that you see a performer who performs (He begins to take off the drag) thats me look into these eyes if you can you will see that i/ am His voice deepens and his posture changes. very much a man
My real name is Hector Dauntay Kingston. Now before you judge the name, let me give you some Tea on this. T is the truth, faggotly speaking! My mother is from Cuba and my father is from St. Thomas Parrish in Jamaica. So you can imagine the food and the music that was consumed in my house. I've always loved the stage and I loved the shit outta Diana Ross and Celia Cruz.
At night when mom and pops was sleep, I used to get a sheet from the hamper, go in my room, play the Supremes and dance the night away. I found creative ways to wrap that sheet, like I was wearing one of those long, beaded expensive gowns Diana Ross used to wear.
“Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart” by the Supremes plays as he wraps a sheet around him like a dress and he begins to dance, imitating Diana Ross.
The boys were checking out the girls and I was checking out their shoes. I embraced my manliness and paid homage to my inner diva. I had to defend myself cause these blocks in East Harlem ain’t for no sissy! So after whipping ass a few times they left me alone, but my
32 FOR COLORED BOYZ friend Rico had it hard.
He was this beautiful Puerto Rican Italian boy that lived in Spanish Harlem off E. 116th. It was Rico who introduced me to the world of drag. One day he came to my house right after school and he made up my face and dressed me in this bad ass white and gold beaded Nolan Miller gown. You know those ones with the shoulder pads and the dangly shit on them? When I looked in the mirror I couldn’t believe the transformation. Dominique Devereaux didn’t have shit on me. And that was the day Coco Hemphill St. Croix was birthed into this world. But the exuberance was sucked outta tha room when I looked up and saw my pops looking at me. I got undressed faster than one of those hookers on 43rd street.
man in green hector/ get in here now
man in blue mother yelled/I walked into the room nd I stood there/ ashamed i was a worthless freak of nature nd a disappointment to my family looked up and my parents were standing there with grins on their faces
man in red son/ what was that all about in there
man in blue pops asked/ i shrugged my shoulders like a kid
man in green do you know how many nights we watched you salsa to Celia Mijo, you are good!
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man in blue Mom said. Was I hearing this correctly? That night changed my life. Mom and Dad shared secrets about our family and that night we bonded. Now, here I am headlining four nights a week at the MGM in Las Vegas. I do Patti, Tina, and Diana. I do Celia better than Celia, and my parents still come out to my shows.
Begins to put on his drag. talk about me/ but i see you appropriating queer culture out there saying shit like shade/ yas hunty/whats tea/reading/ gimmie my coin and vogueing everybody wants to vogue now chile and for your information it is just a dip not a shablam/ not a death drop/ just a dip white folk always try to steal our shit a niggah can’t have a head ache before they try to steal that as for me and my manhood i stand strong in it the labels have been erased in my world because it takes a strong black man to dress like a girl all the world’s a stage no matter your age doctor/ lawyer/ teacher you put on titles and roles thats how our world goes you might judge and point with glee
34 FOR COLORED BOYZ but youre a drag queen like me
He exits singing and dancing
Pictures of Uncle Tom, Bryant Gumble, Don Lemmon, Herman Cain, Ben Carson and Clarence Thomas flash on screens. The Man in Orange enters.
man in orange ive been told many a time the way i speak isnt mine youre an oreo the brothas say but how is this so when my skin isnt white like winter snow my use of diction may cause friction the confusion ensues i can walk into a job interview shit white folk turned blue my syntax has become a mishap/yet my love for you is bigger and when shooting da shit on the corner i can flip vernacular my niggah you smashed this one and that one while high on tha chronic trust and believe
35 FOR COLORED BOYZ that white man hiring dont speak ebonics now white folk dont think youre excused because i’ve heard the appellations you all use omigod you speak so well all i can do is shake my head and say what the hell best believe when im around you i can flip it as you do on the golf course playing a hole or two i dictate things unbelievable and true my enunciation is trite your demeanor makes me want to cuss nd youre so astonished i use words like superfluous black washed white washed this or that whatever it may be i am what i am an educated black me All Actors exit
Dancers enter and begin to dance. “I’ll Miss You Most” by Gordon Chambers play.
man in red ive loved you 6 years 4 months and 5 and a half hours and i want you to know that you can take your damn stuff back you see i gave begrudgingly you took without reciprocation
36 FOR COLORED BOYZ i thought i found love on a two-way street but that shit was a dead end to heartbreak you got comfortable and cold with your stuff you got stingy with your stuff and no matter how much you dogged me out i still missed your stuff i ain’t gon lie you had the best stuff a niggah tasted sweet to the taste like a cherry snow cone on a summer day and that stuff was soft to the touch/ when I got in made me feel like a snotty-nosed kid and again i loved you and your stuff from hair follicle to toenail but your stuff got in the way of how you loved me the cancerous stuff you hold within your mind and heart has caused me to question my manhood am i capable of taking care of a woman am i the man who professed vows in that church it wasn’t my stuff that was getting in the way i try to get my intoxicated mind on track but you can take your damn stuff back nights i lay in bed listening to you scream and moan in darkness i sit helpless with you and these screams i try to hold you but you push me away when you wake up you put on a mask the performance begins a masquerade of love and family/ for the kids the look in your eyes has lost its spirit the smile in your voice is dissonant nd your touch is empty you come in this house every day like a tornado
37 FOR COLORED BOYZ looking for a fight and i realized the fight is within you you are so fixated on holding on to this damn stuff its ruining you and ruining us our relationship/ that stuff is gone i want to stand with you/ but you’ve gotta look in the mirror i am done with the performance we put on sunday/ church folk walking in with your big hat and j renees the picture of a perfect family scattered thoughts and ambivalence if you arent willing to deal with your stuff i want you to pack that shit up in a box nd let me deal with my stuff alone you are hoarding this stuff letting it take up space in your mind heart nd entire being the smell of your stuff fills the room when you make an entrance it grabs me by the throat suffocating the love outta me pushing me away from you and this holy bond i am at my breaking point and it is so rough but enuff is enuff
The Man in Black sits at his computer and begins to type.
man in black so my timeline is going crazy my mind wasn’t at ease
38 FOR COLORED BOYZ where in the hell is ferguson mamma was watching cnn and there it was the emotionless voice from newscasters thoughts racing/ eyes tired but still wanting to know more / #ineedtogotobed what are these people doing that’s so bad it cant be that bad/ its the order its been that same order since slavery they beat us/ they kill us/ we protest thats the way/ right twitter feed going wild/ i type #ferguson rubber bullets/ tear gas/ gasping for breath eyes burning/ barren cries of the people lines of police officers in riot regalia bosnia/ baghdad/ afghanistan/ images familiar wait/ this is america not a third world country/ wheres the water hose where are the vicious dogs/ is this where we are/ again im angry at the world/ angry at the television angry at the damn phone/ just angry/ but what can i do nothing but sit here/ be a voyeur like 90% of the world nd pray/ WELL PRAYING AINT ENOUGH! if i sit here in silence/ i am in recognition of what they did silence is agreement/ silence is feeble how do i express/ how do i create/ how do i accept i put my anger in my heart/ my thoughts in my fingertips nd just type/ thats all i can do is type with every character the calloused feet that marched the strange fruit
39 FOR COLORED BOYZ the little girls who just wanted to go to school the dream the X the Xd out dream we are voyeurs to the modern day lynching of black boys how can we be silent now that my voice has more color and vigor the true colors of friends are shown people deleting me from facebook all because i speak the truth hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature it’s not all excitement and joy the extinction of the colored boy at your feet # that in your next tweet
Police sirens mixed with city sounds are heard off stage. The Man in Green enters very angry.
man in green i feel like blasting your ass on this street right here right now as we speak bust a cap for your mishap my anger has elevated to a place i cant stand to look you in the face i reach in my pocket just for reassurance blasting your ass will give me rest and courage niggahs always packing heat on these streets, angry as fuck not knowing how to peacefully release
40 FOR COLORED BOYZ glock-9, 22, 357 the list is a sin nd then i see you in the street/ dressed in brooks brothers not knowing how these brothers on these streets feel cant turn on the tv without seeing niggahs getting an unfair deal so i/ grab the gun/ my thoughts in arm angry/ ready to cause harm
He cocks the gun and he squeezes the trigger is it gon be you or me and then i realize this gun is my pen you see i am going to use this power to raise my voice loud nd proud blasting your ass with adverbs nd nouns simile/ metaphor/ style/ usage in this pen all used to expose your conspiracy towards black men my heart is proud the smile i can’t hide from committing this linguistic homicide yes ya honor/ i premeditated my poetic crime scribing nd composing every rhyme but you must remember/ i had accessories to this murder baldwin/ baraka/ giovanni/ georgia-me nd sojourner i take my punishment with pride and honor nd give pause to this precursor sentence accepted/ i have been charged with literary murder
The Man In Orange picks up a magazine
41 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in orange as a young boy i remember reading jet magazine i went to the back section to check out the music charts patti labelle/anita baker/freddie jackson /luther nd melba id flip a few more pages to the beauty of the week thered be some long-legged chocolate thang in there look like her legs come out her armpits i never cared to look at the politics section im sure it was some negro politician trying to be the first this or the first that i was 12 so who cared what i saw next scarred me for life mama/ why they got this dead body in here like that
man in black just read the story you/ a young boy about his age its best you find out for yourself
man in blue nd i continued to read
man in red the rage boiled in the pit of my stomach
man in black watts six days of hell in 1965
man in green they said he whistled at a white lady
42 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in orange said he had a switchblade
man in blue black folk began to fight back
man in orange he can just shoot that boy like that/ nd get away with it
man in red they burned watts down
man in black shot him six times
man in green dumped his body in the river
man in orange put him in a choke hold
man in black crushed his spine
man in green he was running away
man in red this kid was just holding a toy gun
43 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in black gasping for a breath
man in green she wanted to show the world what they did to emmitt
man in blue All over some damn Skittles and sweet tea
man in orange its him or me i had to fight
man in red i
man in black cant
man in green take
man in blue this
man in orange anymore
The men begin to circle and do lane work. A voice begins to sing the words of “The Negro National Anthem” One by one the men
44 FOR COLORED BOYZ
stand and gunshots are heard.
all no indictment
man in black all six officers indicted
man in blue i cant breathe
man in orange stop/ hands up
all dont shoot Gunshot is heard
BLACKOUT
45 FOR COLORED BOYZ
ND 2 ACT
The men enter and form a dance circle. Celebratory music is played and the men begin an African dance.
man in red they say its not what you are called/ but what you answer to
man in black bro
man in green homie
man in orange hoodlum
man in blue
46 FOR COLORED BOYZ thug
man in red monkey
man in orange apple
man in black ashy
man in green baboon
man in blue bonky
man in red sell-out
man in black oreo
man in blue mandingo
man in green maricón
man in orange faggot
47 FOR COLORED BOYZ
all niggah!
The man in black enters the stage and looks over the theatre and begins to laugh.
man in black that word/ you know/ the N word well im tired of the meekness we speak around it like cancer or a hidden family secret before i go in i must make it clear what i am about to say is gon change the atmosphere so for all you secret keepers who want the usage to cease you flustered and bothered niggah please the word has a lineage to which ill expose but imma say the N word a lot might wanna keep your ears closed
Clears his throat. you see theres the house nigger the field nigger that uncle tom nigger the darkie nigger
48 FOR COLORED BOYZ the high-yella niggah the nappy haired niggah the bangy lipped nigger the bug eyed nigger the master’s nigger the dumb niggah the smart nigger the ignorant niggah the sell-out niggah the abolitionist nigger the civil rights nigger the young niggah the dancing niggah the singing niggah that hip-hop niggah the sand nigger the enlightened nigger the uppity niggah the contemplating niggah the college educated niggah the unappreciative niggah the nigger lover the procrastinating niggah the orange picking nigger the broke ass niggah nd we cant forget…
all that sorry ass niggah
man in black
49 FOR COLORED BOYZ there’s one that i seem to have forgotten and that is the whiggah white folks who listen to biggie and have a down vibe feel they can loosely drop this diatribe now/ as to usage be it nigger or niggah lets not impose cerebral strain we know damn well its all the same thang so/ I stand tall in my niggerness proudly walk niggerly react niggerlike nd talk niggeratively the repetition echoes its truth that i see but im so glad to say we had an H/N/I/C oh dont sit here like the bougie niggah at large you know that means head niggah in charge ive said nigger 40 times in this mental release the audible redundancy imparts extinction to the meaning which gives me peace
“Self-Destruction” by Various Artists fades in.
man in green
50 FOR COLORED BOYZ i loved you so much i couldnt go to bed without you before i left the house you were there with me on my way to school especially on those long subway rides on the 6 feeding me/ guiding me giving me the strength to live in this white mans world i reflect on our love affair i fell in love with you when beatboxing was the only production to rhymes i feel in love with you when LL rocked a red kangol nd gold rope chains were the norm yo mtv raps came on mc lyte was more than the announcer of BET award shows the lyrics and rhymes flowed beats influenced a dance craze bass knocking/ shoulders popping/ wrists locking to tha boogie/ the beat you see this is when i fell in love with hip hop where the queen reigned and women weren’t THOTS these queens of the mic knew ladies were first bahamadia/ roxanne shante/ latifah nd ms melody rappers were activists street poets with a purpose bringing us hope and joy now we got souljah boy yes/ times have changed but why should the intent tupac was the hoods shakespeare KRS-one was our christopher marlowe
51 FOR COLORED BOYZ nd now/ what do young brothas and sistas have what are they being fed if this music is our food we/ will/ starve nd what next/ we die but all hope isnt lost there are street poets who answered the call they carry the mic exceptionally nd spit lyrics that resonate nas/ common/ kendrick lamar come true nd even gotta give it to that crazy ass erykah badu the call has been made to the unborn lyricists theres power in the tongue use the pen wisely thats the test for your voice can impose life or death.
“Don’t U Go Nowhere” by Muhammad 2G fades in.
man in black djembe beats summon peace mpc rhythms unleash tha beast
man in orange rudiments on a page became the heartbeat of the people
man in black those melodies black with dissonance yet full of resonance
man in orange
52 FOR COLORED BOYZ the sound that influenced a nation nd melodies that saved souls the timbre is bold amazing graces sound is sweet but was written with a slave’s beat
man in black john newton penned this wondrous gem
man in orange but it was a slaves scale that gave life to this hymn
man in black this was the greatest song newton wrote
man in orange but before salvation he was the captain of a slave boat when you research this song thats shown it says lyrics by ewton melody unknown
man in black swing low sweet chariot every time i feel the spirit were all written on the slaves scale still musically separated white keys/ black keys a great divide when played together musical masterpieces comprised
53 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in orange now when we think of a scale we think of do/ re/ me/ fa/ so/ la/ ti/ do
man in black but thats white folk stuff the slaves didnt know these five tones on the piano became the resting place nd the origins of amazing grace
man in orange for you music snobs this is a true tale so i will speak your language its actually the pentatonic scale
The man in Blue enters with sheet music in hand going over scores.
man in blue The other night I was shooting the shit with a few friends. Talking art is what centers all of our conversations. This conversation got my wheels spinning and my pen to writing.
So he said, all your posts on your Facebook wall is black music. When this was said it stunned me like a slap in the face. So my question tonight, what is black music? When you look at me, the extent of my music appreciation rests only on rhyming lyrics, belting divas, crooning brothas, and the Motown Sound.
you are sadly mistaken my blind superficial friend i am a lover of puccini and brahms i hold close the appreciation of a tightly composed aria art song/ nd even a folk piece here nd there
54 FOR COLORED BOYZ
I am a musician who has sung from the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries for Medium High Voice. i love/ leontyne price/ jessye norman kathleen battle/ marian anderson nd my new love michelle johnson but my heart and adoration is with callas/ montserrat caballé / joan sutherland pavarotti/ domingo/ bartoli caruso/ nd bocelli yes/ i am heated so please forgive my angst but damn i am so sick and tired of the ignorant assumption/ the proverbial boxes people put me in just because i am black why am i defined by the type of music i listen to this has been ignorant folks anthem because last time i asked you to name an opera you said/ phantom my playlist defines me as a person, as a musician. my playlist is temperamental/ loving/ angry nd it can be nasty as hell but it is me/ not a color ouvre ton coeur/ habanera/ nessun dorma/ caro mio ben o patria mia/ anaconda/ wheels of a dream nd i am telling you/ whitneys greatest hits streisand/ garland/ audra THE QUEEN nd liza with a z
55 FOR COLORED BOYZ
The list goes on and so tonight, let us dispel the myth that black people only listen to black music.
Jessye Norman’s “Habanera” fades in
Close your eyes, and listen to the chord progressions, that voice, the melody, the instrumentation, and think about how it makes you feel. You see that right there is color blind. its / just/ music
Man in Red sits and starts flipping through the channels. He is very frustrated with the images as he continues to flip through the stations.
man in red i gots to turn off this tv aint a mutherfucker on there who look like me if you aint white you aint right not blonde ya gone not thin you aint in too black you wack too ghetto you gots to go looking in the mirror was a daily obstacle i hated every coil and hair follicle good hair or bad was a compromiser used to run my ass to walgreens
56 FOR COLORED BOYZ for a comb-through texturizer s-curl/ care free curl activator murrays grease/ pro-line gel what that hell/ for what all to look like a pseudo anglo niggah maybe if i lightened my hair wore colored contacts i would attract/ what it wasnt until i moved to nyc i began to like me niggahs of all shapes/ sizes/ colors nd creeds some of these niggahs spoke different languages i authentically liked me i began to see i was brainwashed by the subliminal messages on the screen black isn’t beautiful i thought as a teen but i hail from a lineage of kings sight unseen i refuse to listen and fall victim of your trap so i get happy and smile with this big ass gap now its changed because you want big lips wide hips bigger ass and chest to match but this shit here makes me go in because yall be tanning wanting brown skin i cant hate on you for wanting to be us the swag of a black man makes you envious
57 FOR COLORED BOYZ you black man and even you my nubian sistah embrace your blackness for they will get sicker empowerment and self-love becomes your light to travel this confused world that thinks only white is right
The actors become kids at the playground and they circle around The Man in Black. All of the other boys point at him, singing the nursery rhyme Liar Liar Pants on Fire.
man in black so/ you never lied because you sure sit there in judgment like you never tried now im not condoning it but damn everyone has done it your glass house mentality is built on a foundation of untruths so how stable is it lets get to the root you mustnt forget the stories youve told because i remember them like when you cheated/ arent you bold from what you depicted matrimony is holy but you slept with that man boldly the stance of judgment has now become crippled
58 FOR COLORED BOYZ since you speak in these truth-less riddles this world was built on a lie we know the story well christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue stole nd from the indians now there is some truth but truth the books wont tell now back to you/ the holder of truth im exposing thee so lets take focus off me i lied/ i accept the truth in repercussion nd now i am the topic at your secret discussion out of this lie comes a truthful pain the ones i thought loved me disregarded me in vain like a phoenix i will rise again nd learn from this verbal sin perfection has risen we aren’t Him careful in judgment where you sit all it takes is one truthful rock to bring down that glass house yo ass built
The Man in Blue enters as Trayvon Martin, listening to “So Many Tears” by TuPac
man in blue i decided to walk to the corner store
59 FOR COLORED BOYZ thunder and lightning began glad i wore my hoodie i needed to get home quickly because the rain was coming down i put my hands in my pocket felt the cold can of arizona tea nd the skittles sprinkles fell on my face nd i put my hood on i noticed a truck to my right ole dude was looking at me crazy on the phone i walked towards the truck nd he just stared at me he was on the phone so i minded my business nd kept/ walking
Plays snippet of George Zimmerman’s 911 call
man in red these assholes/ up to no good i was jamming my music and walking down the street is that a crime its been too many robberies nd altercations out here in twin lakes i told my girl someone was following me
A snippet of Trayvon’s girlfriend’s testimony is played.
man in blue i ran/ he might rob me he was right there behind me the aggression in his haste was murderous
60 FOR COLORED BOYZ i was scared so i darted into the apartments running for my life/ he held humanity in his hands footsteps staggered/ breathing hard running the race of self-preservation i was being chased like an animal life or death depended on my stride looked behind me and didnt see him but i knew he was back there i could hear him this man wanted to kill me/ who is this angry man
man in green HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
man in red i puffd up like a blowfish maybe he would leave me alone he came after me and i had to hit him my fists were justified/ this wasnt a police officer a vigilante with hate in his eyes i felt if i got him off his feet for a second id be okay to make it home nd then that’s when he
A gunshot is heard, and he falls to his knees.
man in blue and red nd now i join the list
61 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in blue oscar grant/ eric garner/ john crawford iii
man in green ezell ford
man in black dante parker
man in orange michael brown
man in red tamir rice
man in blue & man in green nd me/ trayvon martin
man in red this list isnt one which you volunteer to be on you are chosen a list plagued with conspiracy and hate you now become a martyr
man in blue i look down to see the soldiers of justice carrying the torch for all my mama out there educating and helping people in pain in heaven an angel she has gained
62 FOR COLORED BOYZ just because you wear a hoodie or fitted hat
man in red dont mean you deserve to be shot in the back when it’s a hoodie that you see remember dead at 17 only wanting skittles nd tea
He grabs a can of sweet tea & Skittles and walks away.
Chanting and voices are heard off stage saying: No Justice No Peace, We Love Baltimore We Want Peace and Hands Up Don’t Shoot. The Man in Green is holding a Molotov cocktail and he starts to light it.
man in blue so you gon burn up your own shit
man in red brothas rioting turning over cars cause they pissed
man in green but you don’t live in baltimore
man in black i live in new york they doing the same thing to black men there too
63 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in green you think cause you marched with king that its over
man in black no/ but I think we have to carry the torch there has to be a solution
man in green what kinda solution be passive just let this brothas name be added to the list im tired of this shit
man in black no/ we gotta organize and protest peacefully
man in green Naw/ if that’s what you want to do then go over there on holliday st we gon burn this mutherfucker down
man in black you think burning your own community is gonna make it stop
man in orange you push someone in a corner they gon fight back
man in blue let him go/ in the eyes of these white folk nd the media you just another niggah breaking the law justifying freddies death with rioting is what they want
64 FOR COLORED BOYZ there is more coverage on the riots than these crooked ass police officers years we have protested and rioted but there is more power in this than this.
He points to his head and makes a fist.
man in black pain and anger/ i get it but i cant condone destroying our neighborhoods. hell id be happier if you went over and burned down fallston or howard county but not your own hood bruh
man in blue that same cvs yall burned down housed jobs for our people now where are they gonna work you got a job for them
man in orange what about that brotha that was sprayed with pepper spray or the protesters at city hall that were arrested
man in black their asses shoulda followed the rules nd went home at 10pm
man in blue fueled by anger nd hate
65 FOR COLORED BOYZ our cities are turned into war zones we cant negate its easy to pick up a brick and throw it
man in red windows can be built again we cant bring freddy back
man in green shoot me with your rubber bullets put pepper spray in our eyes it doesnt blind the fact that this system is corrupt nd full of lies
man in orange voices in the camera/ calm nd collected brothas treated like savages humanity not protected
man in black lawwmakers talk about curfew/ strategies nd plans nobody cares about the crushed spine of that black man
lights fade and a spotlight reveals Man In Black on stage. man in black iwalk around with confidence strong as vibranium a demeanor that is masculine confidence on lock like a mutha fucker so hard/ so strong/ so dat niggah but/ i am not
66 FOR COLORED BOYZ i am none of the above i am scared i am lonely i am weak but I will not share this with anyone i have moments of self-doubt nd when I am in a room such as this a mask i wear becomes my defense mechanism shields me from the constant eyes that condemn me shields me from myself in the morning in the mirror/ i see a worthless waste of skin theres that voice i do whatever i can to silence him his voice becomes loud as a siren loud and it pierces through confidently so loud it silences me just pull the trigger you a worthless niggah i try not to listen i hear black folk say/ oh you just need to pray about it this sickness deflects prayers seems like the more i pray the louder he gets the inner-me has become my enemy so I act all hard and shit/ gotta be that hard nigga in the room because you cant be black/ a man/ nd bi-polar that doesn't exist with our people some of you niggahs in this room wearing that mask right now you have become masters of disguise but within those eyes the hurt and pain is evident cant let you get too close to see whats going on behind these eyes
67 FOR COLORED BOYZ i have succumbed to the voice reality has become deafening the impression of depression becomes a reality it becomes this thing that we don’t talk about but it’s something we see daily in the hood brothers and sisters have become prisoners to their minds hell/ we even make fun of them oh look there go ms pat wearing that damn coat during the summertime first black women to receive a full music scholarship to UT became a well-known concert pianist but look at her now could that be me/ could it be you self-medicating with the blunt refuse to look within shit/ and drowning yourself in this bottle of henn the hoods medicine is what we use to hide the battle scars erase what my uncle did to me silence the noise that has become the soundtrack to my life when the noise gets loud i just take my medicine/ nd it all becomes silent Gunshot
The Man in Blue enters wearing a codpiece and ruffled collar, holding a handkerchief.
man in blue shall I compare thee to a summers day
68 FOR COLORED BOYZ when thou looketh in the mirr'r what doth thou gaze affix tis nefertitis beauty in mine eye the names you adorn impose cerebral rot yet thou glorify the appellation/ THOT dysig lyricists speaketh songs and you gleam thou art more than a strumpet cuckold/ or trap queen shebas gifts nd cleopatras beauty becomes thy lineage, for a brotha to have you is more than a privilege curves that european women imitate you are the best thing yahweh continues to create. so long as rivers flow/ and our beings may be so long lives this/ my unadulterated love for thee
“Brotha” by Angie Stone fades up. A black board with the phonetic spelling of man written in chalk.
man in black what is the definition of a man
man in orange strong/ nd a provider
man in green one who takes care of his business
man in blue dont cry now/ dont be no punk
69 FOR COLORED BOYZ you a man/ mama said
man in red dont show signs of weakness or youll be soft
all were programmed to believe emotionless ideals that build what we call
man in black a black man
man in green dare not be vulnerable
man in blue dont show any affection
all instead we teach young men to be strong emotionless providers
man in black nd yet/ these are the same dudes you get with
man in green nd complain
man in red he dont show affection
70 FOR COLORED BOYZ
man in blue he a heartless muthafucker
all nd you teach the same shit to your son
man in red the cycle repeats
man in orange cause its the same shit we teach
man in green a man can run through any chick thinking he has great luck when a dude waits for marriage/ you call him a punk
man in blue a man can beat the shit out of his wife but we have judgment on michael sams life we question manhood gay/ straight in the NFL all for the media to attack and sell/ we are jaded by ideals
man in black blinded by taboo
man in green misinformed by ignorance
all
71 FOR COLORED BOYZ black man thats you
man in blue nd ladies youre a part of the problem if he walks by/ pants sagging/ with gold teeth speaking in broken english holding his piece
man in green uou are mesmerized feeding this lame trick dare not give any play to me you just want ole boys dick
man in black walking with books in hand/ well-groomed graduating with an MBA real soon
all you chasing a roughneck with hands on the trigger you not ready for a real man making six figures you want a six figure nigger 1 felony 2 child support violations 3 baby mamas 4 sideline hoes and
man in blue 5 golden teeth
man in black
72 FOR COLORED BOYZ i didnt know there was criteria for acceptance into my own race manhood shouldnt be glorified by penis size
all but by my heart/ heightened thinking nd state of mind
man in red that to me is the definition of a /man/
He enters with a script in hand prepping for rehearsal. George Benson’s “On Broadway” fades in.
man in orange It was Stella Adler who said the theatre is the place where people come to see the truth about life, social situations, and the theatre was my escape. There was nothing truthful about me. Do you know what it feels like to get up on the stage and find that every time you immerse yourself into a character, you lose a piece of yourself? This shit happens when you don’t know who you are. Living a big ass lie, but giving truth live and in fucking color eight shows a week on the Broadway stage. When the curtain came down I had to go home every night and look this person in the face I didn’t know. Who are you? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU! I was a slave to my thoughts and the only way I could go to sleep was to drink.
Growing up, I was brainwashed to believe my thoughts weren’t natural. According to the Bible I was going to hell because liking men was an abomination. I grew up in the church and loved the Lord more than anything in the world, yet this Jesus that I loved and worshipped was going to cast me out of the kingdom because I liked men! I could hear the words of so many pastors preaching to the sin and not to the sinner, using the pulpit as a weapon of hate, mass destruction, and their Bible-toting as camouflage from their
73 FOR COLORED BOYZ down-low loving! Even Pastor Kim Burrell was caught on tape talking to her congregation about the wicked ways of the gays!
My mom knew and had no issues but my dad had this quiet acceptance. He wouldn’t be the grand marshal at my coming out parade, but I also knew that he wouldn’t condemn me either. I grew up going to church from 8am until 10pm, Sunday School, BTU, two morning services and sometimes an evening service. I knew the Lord and scripture better than some of the backsliding deacons. I always had a little rhythm in my walk, and a little sweetness in my voice, and I can still remember sitting on the pew, me in between Mama and Daddy feeling so safe. The judgmental eyes from the church ladies and the disdaining grimace on the faces of the male elders. Daddy just put his arms around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. I felt safe. But inside I was confused. How could a place that preached love hate so much? I didn’t want Jesus to hate me, and I didn’t want to go to hell, so my prayer as a little boy would be:
He gets down on his knees and talks in a little boy voice:
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Jesus, if you are listening to me, I ask that you take these thoughts and feelings out of my head; they are wrong and I won’t walk into the gates of heaven. If I continue to think and feel this way I won’t see you Jesus, and I love you. Please take this away from me, and Jesus, I wanna pray for all my family and especially Mama and Daddy!
He gets off his knees and becomes an adult again.
That was my prayer every night until I gave up! I guess my prayers fell on deaf ears. God wasn’t listening to me anymore, and apparently he didn’t love me. So I gave up! I was a spiritual zombie walking around without a purpose. All I had was this so-called passion for the theatre but everything else was on autopilot. When God gave up on me, I gave up on
74 FOR COLORED BOYZ him. Every now and then there was a voice of comfort, but that voice was muted by thoughts of self-doubt, suicide and stupidity. I was looking at that bottle of Jack, and these prescribed sleeping pills, I was ready to face whatever my punishment was going to be. I heard so many people tell me that I was confused and that this choice that I made to live this lifestyle was going to send me straight to hell. My confusion led me to believe that I was an abomination and unworthy of the love of the Lord because of the way I loved.
Christians are supposed to model their lives after Christ, and in my knowledge and understanding, Christ hung out with prostitutes, lepers, thieves and polygamists. He just loved, that’s all, and that is what we are supposed to do. LOVE! Right?!
There isn’t wording in red condemning me. God loves but Christians hurt. People are pushed out of the church, having a bitter disposition towards organized religion and doctrine. You preach love, and behind closed doors you hate, you get up on the pulpit and preach about love and non-judgment and yet you are the judge and jury. You are a deacon on Sunday and a deadbeat dad by Monday! Pastor preaching but prostitute pursuing. I never wanted people to agree with me and my lifestyle, just for there to be acceptance and the possibility to coexist. Hell, we’ve accepted you and your whorish ways for decades!
You know, I realized God hadn’t given up on me; I’d given up on him. I felt everything had an answer, but I forgot to trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not to my own understanding. These so-called Christians didn’t have a heaven nor hell to put me in and they would be the main ones to bust hell wide open with their condemnation and hateful words. Lord knows I am not perfect, but he’s looking for people to perfect. I realized God made me in his image; I am not a freak of nature. I am just like you, taking it day by day trying to figure out this thing called life, but I can’t let the misguided religious opinions of church folk hinder my growth. I turn on the TV and see kids who have killed themselves because their family didn’t accept their sexuality, the number of homeless teens has grown tremendously. This narrow-minded thinking has to stop. So I ask you, if you have a child that turns out to be like me, what are you going to do?
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Gospel music fades in and Man in Red is giving a eulogy.
man in red doubt/ ambivalence/ choices options/ alternatives/ nd just one maybe three people that talk to me every night their voices loud i want to introduce you to shoulda/ coulda/ nd woulda i coulda listened more i shoulda stayed wouldnt have happened if i were there no matter how many times i run these scenarios i grow to understand that some things are just meant to be still in my understanding i am yet confused when i walked in the room and saw your lifeless body i didnt know what to do death’s silence permeated i tried chest compression nd mouth to mouth i prayed that with every breath there was possibility i tried and tried but still nothing i felt a hand pull me back nd there were the paramedics they were working on her nd there i was helpless
76 FOR COLORED BOYZ i was frozen and couldn’t move i would trade it all for the tables to have turned but maybe if i would have answered your call maybe if i were more understanding of your stuff maybe if i wasnt so selfish i didnt know your pain was so deep you didn’t have to search for the cure in a bottle of pills the devastation is endless now you are gone and i am here alone with questions. they made the call dead at 7/48pm i have to tell our three children their mother is dead from a drug overdose what am i supposed to do ive tried to make peace with this needing clarity to see but i ask myself what if/ or perhaps maybe
He begins to speak very proper.
man in blue ive had these on all my life never a hassle but sometimes uncomfortable like taking a shower/ id have to take them off playing sports as well but mostly they stayed on my face
77 FOR COLORED BOYZ its amazing how things appear with these on i grew up in river oaks/ where status was prevalent tall trees and cobblestone circular driveways our house was on the same street as joel osteens mom is a partner at the largest law firm in houston dad is an oil and gas executive i went to episcopal and graduated at the top of my class studied at stanford and received my mba from harvard nd these glasses helped me all the way but one day i took them off
His voice and posture changes nd i see things through eyes that arent covered with glass a virginal view of life what you cant abuse your power as a police officer you cant shoot a kid whos weaponless i put the glasses back on and im numb blind with these expensive glasses everything looks perfect with this jaded perception of life who in the hell lives like this…
Takes them off then im angry mad cant you tell my coworkers at the law firm are prejudiced as hell
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man in green did you see how ghetto she was acting
man in red those people are something else
Glasses on man in blue my thoughts about to explode like a bomb put these glasses on/ and be their uncle tom jokes made about my people nd i just stand there silent laughing with them
Takes them off but silence is agreement i was agreeing to the demeaning of my people just because i was degreed up/ nd came from money didnt hide the fact that i was black as hell from truth i fell nd in the eyes of some white folk im just an educated nigger
Puts the glasses on so/ do i continue to look through these rose colored glasses HELL NO!
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i will look and authentically be i hear clearly i truthfully see “FDT” by Nipsey Hussle fades up.
man in red i couldnt go thru the day without something to say yup/ another one/ and another one not a bop or a banger niggah the hood is in danger the theories begin was it the government who killed this brother or was he slain by another be it adversary/ or assassination what the fuck is going on in our nation this brother was a product of the hood was a gang banger but was no stranger to the plight of the negro this niggah here was our hero slauson ave was the street he had tatted on his back later became the same intersection with crenshaw where he was attacked/ not tippin on foe foes/ or running hoes he put his money into start-ups damn/ let me grab my cup his pass might haunt him and the media will dig to find
80 FOR COLORED BOYZ not glorying his astute mind you see he was meeting with lawmakers trying to end the bloodshed in these streets but its this current situation which defeats a brother from the hood investing was a gem even had a program for STEM but to them he was a rollin 60s crip niggah but big pharma wasnt ready for what he wanted america to see a documentary on dr sebi whatever your hypothesis the blood that was shed on crenshaw and slauson was senseless ive been following this brother and his struggle your death we will forever tussle rest in peace nipsey hussle the marathon continues
The national anthem begins to play and men dressed in football uniforms enter. As the music begins to play one of them steps out from the group and begins to speak.
man in blue to kneel/or not to kneel / that is the question
81 FOR COLORED BOYZ whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to endure the social injustices and prejudices of this great country or to use my freedoms allotted to me by our founding fathers
st who were the writers of the 1 Amendment. to kneel/ to stand no/ nd by kneel to say we end the systematic racism nd the assassination of black men in the streets ‘tis a consummation devoutly to be wishd/ to kneel/ to stand
man in orange to stand/ perchance the opportunity to stand for a cause ay/ theres the rub for in standing it is an act of valor and patriotism but truthfully standing for this cause brings bout a bowd head five fingers clinched in a fist with an arm extending to the heavens bending at the knee as you do for your god/your bride to be ts not an act of submission tis an act of honor and veracity within this axiom/ one is forced to see ones self looking upon a country whose land is free nd brave denounces every principle and founding law the proletariats obtuse gaze is fueled by a president whose closeted racist ideals begin to show americas anthem reads/
man in blue/ man in black their blood has washd out their foul footsteps pollution no refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave and the star/spangled banner in triumph doth wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave
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man in blue what say you to this folly of speech soft you now/ i pray these words may heal but for when this song is played i will continue to kneel
man in red fuck u donald trump yeah i said it nd many more of you had it on your mind
man in green ¡toma eso y construye tu maldita perra de la pared take that and build your damn wall/ bitch DACA deez nuts/ Coño
man in black this muthafuckah grabbing pussies calling people bastards/ u/ expect me to have respect for this misogynistic womanizer just like we have to claim omarosa yall gotta claim this fool you put this coon in office
man in orange white men been going around for hundreds of years grabbing pussies and taking pussy nd they havent been reprimanded yet but you wanna take bill cosby down like the titanic
83 FOR COLORED BOYZ oh how the tides have changed every day you turn on the television/ theres a new case of sexual misconduct harvey weinstein kevin spacey matt lauer nd charlie roe
man in black NOT CHALIE!
man in green many dont see the coincidence but if this shit is accepted at the top it will trickle down maybe if he spoke with elocution or actually knew policy i would be a little less angry shows you that you can have all the money in the world nd be stupid as fuck but this can only happen to white men from the slave house to the White House all the lies hes told now this country is considered a SHITHOLE!
man in black white men have been untouchable for hundreds of years/ this behavior is swept under the rug hell/ look around you all these light skinned niggahs in
84 FOR COLORED BOYZ here are proof positive that massah can do what he wants nd have what he wants but truth has come to the light nd it aint so pretty so here we are with a president who obviously dont care about democracy
man in red no understanding of the constitution has publicly admitted to grabbing a woman by the pussy he said/ grab’em by the pussy/ you can do anything
man in blue we have someone in office who is narcissistic nd bipolar what happens next will he be impeached or will we have more years out of reach
all our constitution laid out and took a dump this country is going to shit because we all were TRUMPED
Dancer enters and begins to dance
The worry and struggle of the colored boy knows no boundary or zip code tis a burden that we will forever hold
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man in red ich bin immer noch schwarz (no matter where i am/ i am still black)
man in orange koko demo watashi wa mada kuroi (even here i am black)
man in blue toujours un garçon de couleur (still a colored boy)
man in green um garoto colorido com uma música (a colored boy with a song)
man in black a world filled with deafening melodies of colored boys singing nd screaming who will listen
man in blue you were kings on the nile and ruled the pride lands sold into slavery to serve picked cotton nd your manhood was plucked your blood/ sweat nd tears built this country it is your backs that we stand on black men the lynching nd jim crow didnt stop your fight marching in selma for what was right the dark night nd strange fruit hang solemnly in the mississippi woods your determination nd strength through pain wasnt in vain the cries of the people we hear you
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man in red sandra bland
man in blue baltimore
man in orange ferguson
man in black nathaniel woods
man in green sanford
man in red flint
man in blue houston
man in black we heard you
man in green with the cards youre dealt a nervous breakdown becomes a right of passage no pill to ease this systematic anxiety
man in black
87 FOR COLORED BOYZ no therapy secession to heal these marginalized wounds but there is tomorrow
man in blue as you pass this phase of life
man in red know the road will get tough
man in range even when freedom ain’t enuff BLACKOUT
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