Thoughts of a Colored Man

For one unforgettable weekend, Thoughts of a Colored Man comes to Portland’s Brunish Theatre in a powerful theatrical experience about identity, brotherhood, vulnerability, joy, love, and what it means to be seen.

Written by Keenan Scott II, Thoughts of a Colored Man brings together seven Black men over the course of a single day in Brooklyn, each embodying a different dimension of the human experience. Through poetry, humor, music, movement, and deeply honest storytelling, their lives intersect as they wrestle with relationships, family, ambition, masculinity, community, loss, hope, and the expectations the world places upon them.

At once intimate and electrifying, the play moves beyond stereotypes to reveal something far richer: Black men in the fullness of their humanity. They laugh. They love. They hurt. They dream. They disagree. They heal. And, perhaps most importantly, they allow themselves to be vulnerable with one another.

Following its acclaimed Broadway run, this Portland production brings this extraordinary work to the Brunish Theatre with a dynamic cast and a commitment to creating an experience that stays with audiences long after the final bow.

Whether you recognize pieces of your own story onstage or are being invited into experiences different from your own, Thoughts of a Colored Man asks all of us to look beyond what we assume about one another and consider what becomes possible when people are given the freedom to be fully seen, fully heard, and fully human.

Powerful. Poetic. Funny. Moving. Unapologetically human.

This is more than a night at the theatre. It is a conversation, a celebration, and an experience you do not want to miss.

Thoughts of a Colored Man explores complex themes related to race, masculinity, identity, sexuality, relationships, trauma, and the lived experiences of Black men in America. The production contains discussions of racism and discrimination, references to violence and death, and emotionally intense subject matter. Some content may be sensitive or triggering for some audience members.