#Thoughts of a colored man cast change professional

Anger (Tristan Mack Wilds, in a strong Broadway debut) lives in the shadow of an unrealized dream of playing professional basketball and coaches kids in the neighborhood for a living. We meet him on his morning jog as he takes in the sights, sounds and smells of his new Brooklyn neighborhood. Happiness (Bryan Terrell Clark) is a vision of upward mobility. The protagonists are archetypes of different Black men, sketches reflecting a broad range of experiences. Scott writes in a style, which he terms “ slam narrative,” that recalls Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls… (which will have its own Broadway revival in 2022). The simplicity of the set - designed by Robert Brill - belies the forthcoming narrative roller coaster. Thoughts of a Colored Man opens with little fanfare. It’s thrilling to see Broadway embrace more Black playwrights, but tardy diversity efforts only put more pressure on the works that do end up in front of an audience. There’s no doubt that part of my inner conflict concerns the hype around the show and its moment. Joining a lineup that includes Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over, Douglas Lyons’ Chicken & Biscuits, Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s and Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew, Scott stands in good company. Not only does this season represent a trepidatious return to theaters after nearly two years of a pandemic-mandated shutdown, but the inclusion of seven plays by Black playwrights reflects the impact of the national discourse on race in response to George Floyd’s murder. Broadnax III, premieres during a particularly exciting time on Broadway. 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Reveals New Image and First Act Title

And yet, days after seeing this entertaining but emotionally inert play, I am resistant to passing judgment, plagued by the ways it fell short for me. Based on this description alone, it sounds like the kind of project - experimental in structure, bold in vision, and written and directed by Black people - that I want to succeed in the glaringly white world of theater. The Broadway production of Keenan Scott II’s new work is a study of Black masculinity and “blends spoken word, slam poetry, rhythm and humor” to tell the stories of a group of Black men living in Brooklyn. Thoughts of a Colored Man is the kind of play for which I make excuses.

Thoughts of a colored man cast change