Courtesy of JaRich
Audio By Carbonatix
In The Black Academy of Arts and Letters’ upcoming stage production For Colored Brothers, four men share anecdotes about mental health. The show-starring Jaleel “JaRich” Ritchwood-Jordan, Kahri Bolden, Nate Louis Davis, and Joshua D. Reed-sees the actors take stories from their lives, re-enact defining moments and address their impact on their well-being.
The concept of For Colored Brothers came from TBAAL founder Curtis King and is a continuation of another play he produced last year called The Bitches, which told the story of a group of women sharing stories of racism and misogyny they’ve encountered during their upbringing into adulthood.
“Curtis had an idea of putting together four brothers or a group of young men to share their stories or a story that continued [The Bitches],” says JaRich.
JaRich moved to Dallas from Newark, New Jersey, in 2022, and King was one of the first people he met. When King presented him with the concept of For Colored Brothers, JaRich was immediately intrigued.
Much of the cast comes from other parts of the country, but their brotherhood united them. Being able to share these types of stories brought them closer.
“We came together, and we started putting our ideas together,” JaRich says. “We started putting together how we want the play to go, and then it just really became more so therapy sessions of us just sharing our truths, different things that we’ve experienced in our lives. Most of us are coming from different backgrounds. I’m coming from New Jersey, somebody else is coming from Alabama, and then you have the others that are here from Texas, but from different areas of Texas. You have somebody from Fort Worth, and then you have somebody else that was born and bred right here in Dallas and Oak Cliff. So we’re all coming from different walks of life.”
Trauma Bonding
The cast has been working on For Colored Brothers for over a year. Some days, they would meet at restaurants or in each other’s homes. The cast found these moments therapeutic as they opened up about things they hadn’t told their spouses, family members or peers.
“With a show of this nature, I hope people come with an open mind,” Davis says. “Leave your preconceived notions at home and prepare to receive and understand. This show will clarify things men go through so the audience can understand a man’s perspective.”
JaRich will share a story about infidelity that took place during his marriage, while some of the other men will detail stories about sexuality as well as struggles with faith.
“Everyone has different ways of connecting to art and creativity,” says Bolden. “Each individual can be passionate and feed off one another. What has been a great thing is hearing each other’s stories and seeing how they present a monologue.”
The show will re-create some of the men’s dinner sessions at a central table, and the audience can expect to feel a whirlwind of emotions, much like the cast thought in the early stages of the play.
“I learned on a deeper level that community and brotherhood is important,” Reed says. “Having uplifting and positive support from other men is essential. [The audience] can expect truth, transparency and raw emotional release that will lead to transformative freedom. I hope our audiences walk away inspired and motivated to have hard conversations that will ultimately lead to healing and a better understanding of the layers to a man, and specifically a man of color.”
For Colored Brothers will run at 8:15 p.m. on Friday, March 28, and at 3:15 and 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at the Clarence Muse Cafe Theater, 650 N. Griffin St. The cast and crew hope that the audience will leave the show having learned the importance of emotional intelligence and communication.
“I would love to see anybody from any walk of life just come and be able to connect with Black men on a different level of emotion, thrill, and passion,” says Bolden. “Those are some things that I think will really stand out.”
