New Theater Company in Town

The newly minted Newark Repertory Theater Company is brewing something special in a section of our city's art community that has been relatively quiet for some time. With the troupe's latest revival of the critically acclaimed "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf," or simply known as For Colored Girls, its director proclaims that the company is attempting to become the "premier non-profit theater company dedicated to life changing stage productions for audiences."

Marcia Brown, who is a Newark-based attorney and Vice Chancellor for Rutgers Newark, serves as the founding president of the company, while also acting as director/producer for the current performance. While many people around town know Marcia from her work on the local campus as well as her philanthropic pursuits for many area non-profits, few know of her artistic ability and pursuits.

With a history that includes community theater and public televising programming, Marcia is also respected poet and co-founder of both Afro Beats and Return to the Source, an a cappella civil rights blues & jazz ensemble, and member of the Writer's Collective, Cultural Emanations, and Black Rose Love. Considering her background, she is poised to lead a group of women that are seeking to revive the theatrical arts amongst this current generation of Newarkers.

Besides the performance, the troupe is seeking to engage their audience, which will hopefully be bolstered by those of younger ages (16+), with thought provoking question & answer sessions following their performances. For Colored Girls deals with heavy subject matter that deserves our collective attention, such as rape, abortion, sexuality, race, war, rage, and violence, while searching for "self-expression and love." It is a well-known play at this point, written by Ntozake Shange, consisting of the stories of seven women.

The Newark Repertory Theater Company will be producing the play at five different locations on the east coast, with stops in Philadelphia on October 6th, and homecoming finale tapped for October 13th in our unparalleled Newark Symphony Hall at 7 P.M. Readers can purchase tickets here or by calling 1.800.838.3006.

Let's all get up and get out to support a return to the arts for this new company, with a tried story that always needs re-telling.