Bringing “For Colored Girls” to Life

Posted by Zoe Baillargeon in Santa Fe

Sitting in the lobby of the SFUAD Welcome Center, Tikia Fame Hudson is all smiles.

“This is so exciting!” she enthuses, spreading her infectious spirit with everyone in the room as she talks about her latest artistic endeavor.

In addition to helping out with the Black History Show at SFUAD in celebration of Black History Month, Hudson is in the process of directing For Colored Girls, set to perform in the blackbox theater at Warehouse 21 on Feb. 27 and 28.

For Colored Girls, which is short for for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, is a choreopoem, a series of 20 poetic monologues told through song and dance. Inspired by events in author Ntozake Shange’s real life, it follows seven nameless African-American women as they explore love, loss, empowerment and oppression during the Civil Rights movement.

Tikia Fame Hudson, director of ‘For Colored Girls’ showing at warehouse 21 February 27 at 7pm & February 28 at 12pm. Photo by Luke E. Montavon/The Jackalope

“Putting on For Colored Girls is important to me because I’m really into African-American celebrations and celebrating us women…so it’s dearly special to me because it’s both dealing with the African-American history and also women empowerment,” says Hudson, a junior studio arts major, who has been participating in black history and women’s appreciation shows for the past three years here at SFUAD.

Hudson says participating in and putting on these shows is important to her because of the empowerment it gives people.

“[For Colored Girls] is very relevant to today’s society as far as racism and sexism. Just being a woman in today’s society, especially being a black woman, there are very few role models, but the few role models we have, they’re very strong and powerful. That’s what I aspire to be someday.”

Due to the fact that the show is being performed off campus, Hudson got a chance to stretch her entrepreneurial muscles by enlisting sponsors such as the NAACP and local nonprofits like Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families.

She also launched a successful gofundme.com page that raised more than $700 toward renting space, securing the play’s license, set pieces, props, costumes and more.

“Everyone’s helping out,” says Hudson about the outpouring of support from sponsors and the community.

Due to her experience on previous shows and her background in theater, Hudson prefers to opt for an improv-style type of directing, working with her assistant director Performing Arts Department alumna Malcolm Morgan to solidify blocking and movement.

“I don’t really plan too much stuff, I just know what feels right and it really has a lot to do with my cast,” says Hudson. “We were really well together, this is the best production, the best cast I’ve ever had.”

‘For Colored Girls’ directed by Tikia Fame Hudson will show in the Warehouse 21 theatre February 27 at 7pm and February 28 at 12pm. Photo by Luke E. Montavon/The Jackalope

The cast comes from a variety of majors at the school, including theater, creative writing, contemporary music, and arts management.

“Tikia is truly an inspiration,” says Creative Writing major and cast member Chantelle Michelle. “She’s put together this entire thing because she feels so deeply about it, and I really look up to her persistence, thoughtfulness, and dedication.”

Mitchell also commented on how working on this show has challenged her as an artist and person.

“I’m not really used to acting, so I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone plenty of times. I was really frustrated at first, because I felt like I was doing everything wrong,” says Mitchell. “This play brings us [the cast] together. It helps remind me of how proud I should be to be who I am, and there’s definitely a message in each of the characters that speaks to so many different people in different ways.”

Even though the play doesn’t go up until late February, the cast and crew are already reaching out to share their art with the community. The cast performed at the New Mexico Round House for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, where Hudson was presented with the Community Service Award Scholarship for her work with the local chapter of the NAACP and her leadership in directing For Colored Girls.

“It was supposed to be one singer, but she had strep throat, so we all came together and made our own improv-choir, which was really exciting.”