A play that made Broadway history is coming to downtown Portland for just three nights this October, and the local production's executive producer is a familiar name in corporate diversity circles: Jarvis Sam. “Thoughts of a Colored Man” will run October 1 through 3, 2026, at the Brunish Theatre.
Sam, now chief executive officer of the DEI advisory firm The Rainbow Disruption, is executive producing the Portland production, according to KOIN.com. He appeared on the station's Everyday Northwest program, part of a recurring segment called The Juice, to discuss the show.
Seven Men, One Stage, One Day
“Thoughts of a Colored Man” puts seven Black men on one stage, according to the same report, and offers what the station describes as a view of the Black male experience. Written by playwright Keenan Scott II, the piece uses a “slam narrative” structure that blends spoken word, prose, and music to trace a single day in the lives of seven Black men in a gentrifying Brooklyn, as detailed by Concord Theatricals. The characters are unnamed personifications of human emotions including Happiness, Love, Lust, Passion, Depression, Wisdom, and Anger, per the same licensing outline.
The show explores joy, vulnerability, contradictions, brotherhood, love, and humanity, according to the KOIN.com report. Sam also discussed the show's themes with the outlet. Scott spent 15 years developing the script, an effort he first conceived while studying acting at Frostburg State University after feeling excluded by the traditional theatrical canon, drawing on his own upbringing in Queens and Washington, D.C. to craft the play's vignettes, according to BKMAG.
A Broadway First Heads West
“Thoughts of a Colored Man” made Broadway history in October 2021 as the first Broadway show to be written, directed, starring, and lead-produced entirely by Black artists, according to Wikipedia. The production opened at Broadway's John Golden Theatre following out-of-town runs at Syracuse Stage and Baltimore Center Stage. Its arrival in Portland brings that milestone production to the city, while the play itself centers on gentrification themes.
The production will add another theater event to Portland's cultural landscape.
Sam's Path From Nike to the Stage
Before founding The Rainbow Disruption, Sam served as Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Nike Inc., stepping down from the Oregon-based athletic giant in November 2022 after nearly five years with the company, according to Retail Dive. He was Nike's third top diversity officer since 2020 before launching his consulting practice, the outlet reported. Sam's professional background includes corporate diversity leadership.
Sam's professional background extends beyond his Nike role.
Venue and Tickets
The Brunish Theatre is the venue for the production. It is described as an intimate, flexible space. Tickets for “Thoughts of a Colored Man” are available at portland5.com, per the KOIN.com report, with the run set for just three nights, October 1 through 3.
