REVIEW: ‘Thoughts of a Colored Man’ opens on Broadway

Photo: From left, Tristan Mack Wilds, Dyllón Burnside, Forrest McClendon and Da’Vinchi star in Broadway’s Thoughts of a Colored Man. Photo courtesy of Julieta Cervantes / Provided by DKC O&M with permission.

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NEW YORK — Keenan Scott II’s play Thoughts of a Colored Man is receiving a stirring and moving production at Broadway’s Golden Theatre. Depicting the life, love, loss and feelings of seven Black men, the show is a powerful examination of many different themes, which also appear as the characters’ names: Love, Happiness, Wisdom, Lust, Passion, Depression and Anger.

The narrative structure of the piece is interesting and unique. The actors walk to the center of the stage at the play’s beginning, addressing the audience and welcoming them to the theatrical experience. Over the next 100 minutes, they share their thoughts and emotions, sometimes through dialogue, sometimes through music and poetry.

Within their stories, the characters offer glimpses of who they are and what they might be celebrating or struggling with in life. One man is about to welcome a baby with his wife. Another man runs a barber shop where patrons need to contribute to a swear jar if they use profanity. Another man works at a local Whole Foods store and criticizes the obvious gentrification of the neighborhood. They are separate voices, each on their own individual trajectory, but they are bonded together through friendship, family and conversations.

Forrest McClendon is a standout amongst the cast members. He plays Depression and is given some of the best lines in the play, and his story arc becomes one of the more dominant ones throughout the evening. He is a skilled actor who bears his conscience, his strength and his insights to the audience.

There’s also a brilliance behind the performance of Esau Pritchett as Wisdom, the owner of the local barber shop and a soon-to-be grandfather. As his character name suggests, he shares stories and lessons to be learned with the younger patrons of his shop, often with his anecdotes receiving praise and context from Depression.

Playing the role of Lust, Da’Vinchi is a similarly excellent performer as well. His character has a lot to learn over the course of this narrative, and his journey is a tough one. In one pivotal scene, he comes at odds with Wisdom and is thrown out of the barber shop (rightfully so given his actions). Later on, he seeks forgiveness, and Wisdom doesn’t let the moment pass without imparting some of his hard-earned knowledge.

The cast members — from Dyllón Burnside as Love, Bryan Terrell Clark as Happiness, Luke James as Passion and Tristan Mack Wilds as Anger — are wonderful and in command of their respective roles. They give everything they have to the theatrical framework created by Scott, and they are aided by the directorial choices of Steve H. Broadnax III. They collectively bring to life these “thoughts” in a variety of forms, most movingly being the intimate monologue. When a solitary character heads to the edge of the stage, looks the audience in the eye and lets them know how he is feeling, there’s an intimacy that is earned and an emotional response that is obvious. Robert Brill’s scenic design, featuring a bare stage and an elevated screen with projected images, helps keep the focus on the men and their stories.

Scott is clearly after larger themes with this unique piece of theater. The show seems borne of both the moment and a historical perspective, detailing current struggles, past events and a look toward the future. The play received its world premiere in 2019 at Syracuse Stage, and with each passing day over the last two years, many of these lyrical passages have become even more prescient to hear and important to experience on stage. There are monologues about so many different aspects of life faced by these Black men, issues like fatherhood, racism, opportunity, gentrification, love and family. There’s a lot to soak in over the course of the show — and sometimes the storytelling can feel wobbly with characters constantly entering and exiting the spotlight — but the heart of the piece is apparent and the message heard loud and clear.

Scott, who is a Queens native making his Broadway debut, has crafted an introspective journey into the hearts of seven Black men struggling with love, happiness, wisdom, lust, passion, depression and anger. These emotions, these feelings, these thoughts are shared openly with the Broadway crowd, each of them delivered with an invitation to listen.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. Starring Dyllón Burnside, Bryan Terrell Clark, Esau Pritchett, Da’Vinchi, Luke James, Forrest McClendon and Tristan Mack Wilds. Running time: 100 minutes. Now playing on Broadway at the Golden Theatre on 45th Street. Click here for more information and tickets.