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A DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE TITLE
Full-Length Play, Drama / 7m
Keenan Scott II
Dawn breaks in Brooklyn, and seven Black men rise to meet the day. Through the storytelling style of SLAM Narrative, Thoughts of a Colored Man celebrates the hopes, ambitions, joys and triumphs of Black men in a world that often refuses to hear them.
Dawn breaks in Brooklyn, and seven Black men rise to meet the day. One of them, a finance director, leaves his luxurious condo to jog around their rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, just as a grocery-store clerk is starting another soul-crushing shift. At the bus stop, two best friends debate the intricacies of modern dating, while a basketball coach at the youth center grapples with his unrealized potential. At the hospital, a teacher and his father-in-law welcome a new life. And at the barbershop, the whole group meets for cuts and conversation as sparks fly over questions of identity and community. Through the storytelling style of SLAM Narrative, Thoughts of a Colored Man celebrates the hopes, ambitions, joys and triumphs of Black men in a world that often refuses to hear them.
Thoughts of a Colored Man premiered on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on 13 October 2021. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, the production featured Dyllón Burnside, Bryan Terrell Clark, Da’Vinchi, Luke James, Forret McClendon, Esau Pritchett and Tristan Mack Wilds.
LOVE – 18, college student. Poet by trade. Young in every sense of the word. He’s a sneaker head and dresses like the youth of now, he cares about his clothes. Shy in certain situations. Needs to be well versed with the language of poetry. LUST – 20, retail worker. Heavy New York accent. Charming and naturally flirtatious. Purehearted. As carefree as he is reckless. His words are unrefined, and he has no filter. He is highly sexual and addicted to women and has enough confidence to go around. ANGER – 25, youth coach/part-time barber. A former collegiate basketball player that is an academic in disguise. He carries a chip on his shoulder. Has a rawness to him. Must have the energy of SLAM poetry during poetic scenes. DEPRESSION – 28–30, grocery store clerk. An astute survivor. A true neighborhood guy at heart. Highly intelligent and steady; equally comfortable in multiple different environments, can adapt to his surroundings, but at times he exposes himself to be socially awkward. PASSION – 35, teacher. A scholar from the inner city. A seasoned guy who has seen a lot in his life and is very in tune with the world around him. He has an articulate but edgy presence. He possesses the spirit of ancestral orators. Must be rhythmically inclined and fluent with poetic verse. HAPPINESS – Late 30s–early 40s, financial director. An upper-middle class man originally from the South. A man who happens to be gay, but his sexuality does not rule his life, nor does he wear it on his sleeve. He has a polished look and demeanor with Ivy League schooling. A dressed-down casual Brooks Brothers man. He’s externally unapologetic, but deeply caring internally. WISDOM – 60–65, shop owner/entrepreneur. A man of dark complexion, African born. An immigrant to the United States. His accent has weakened over time. Heavy thinking man. Regal and confident, but equally humble. He has a calm presence and possesses a strength only age can bring.
All characters on stage together form the ensemble. All actors in this world are black in race, heritage, culture, and experience. The cast should be diverse in height, size, complexion, and hairstyle to fill as much of the spectrum as possible.
All characters on stage together form the ensemble. All actors in this world are Black in race, heritage, culture, and experience. The cast should be diverse in height, size, complexion and hairstyle to fill as much of the spectrum as possible.
A gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Fall, present day.
“The most important play of the 21st century!” – Amsterdam News
“A play of immense compassion and keen insight, with a vise-grip on the dreams and disappointments of its characters, Thoughts of A Colored Man is a paean to life as both survival and celebration, a tribute and exploration of the black men who find beauty, dignity, frustration and inspiration where they can” – Deadline
“Thoughts of A Colored Man lays essential foundations for embracing the humanity of its subjects, while at the same time longing for a world that obviates its existence.” – Variety
“The playwright (despite the singular “man” in the title) drives home a main point of the play – that the universe of black men is not monolithic; it’s kaleidoscopic.” – New York Theater
Thoughts of a Colored Man – Baltimore Center Stage Trailer
Thoughts of a Colored Man – About the Language in the Play
Thoughts of a Colored Man – Broadway Clips
Thoughts of a Colored Man – From the Playwright
Keenan Scott II is a playwright, poet, actor, director and producer of original work from Queens, New York. His work has been workshopped and produced at notable theaters such as the National Black Theater, New York Theater Workshop, Arena Stage and Woolly Mammoth. After year ...