The revival of Ossie Davis’ groundbreaking 1961 play, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, garnered six Tony nominations including Best Revival of a Play, Best Lead Actor in a Play (Leslie Odom Jr.), Best Featured Actress in a Play (Kara Young), Best Direction of a Play (Kenny Leon), Best Scenic Design of a Play (Derek McLane), and Best Costume Design of a Play (Emilio Sosa).
Kara’s nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play is historic as she is the first black actor (female or male) to be nominated for a Tony Award three years in a row- as Letitia in Lynn Nottage’s Clyde, as Jess in Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living, and as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins in Purlie Victorious.
She received the 2024 Outer Critics Circle Award and the 2024 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play, and was nominated for a 2024 Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.
“Ossie Davis gave the American theater an American hero in Purlie Judson,” says Leslie Odom, Jr. “I have loved this piece and its author, Mr. Davis, for well over half my life. His writing and acting, his integrity, the commitment he and his brilliant wife made to nurturing young talent, and the example of citizenship have meant so much to me! Mr. Davis’s pages are full of joy and rhythm, laughter and hope. We endeavored to live up to the demands of a challenging text and the legacy of a great American. I was thrilled beyond measure to be part of the revival company and now for it to be part of the rich tradition of Great Performances on PBS.”
The comedic play tells the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner. Written by Kennedy Center honoree Ossie Davis with direction by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun), this first Broadway revival was recorded live at the Music Box Theatre on January 24-26, 2024. Purlie Victorious made its original debut on Broadway in 1961 and starred Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Godfrey Cambridge, Sorrell Booke and Beah Richards.
With Leslie Odom, Jr. in the title role, the cast also features Billy Eugene Jones (Gitlow Judson), Jay O. Sanders (Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee), Heather Alicia Simms (Missy Judson), Vanessa Bell Calloway (Idella Landy), Noah Robbins (Charlie Cotchipee), Noah Pyzik (The Deputy), Bill Timoney (The Sheriff) and Kara Young (Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins).
Purlie Victorious mirrors playwright Ossie Davis’ personal journey, growing up in racially segregated Georgia, to challenge oppressive white authority in the South and beyond. Using his art to both entertain and educate, some of the atrocities addressed in the play, such as the harsh use of racial slurs and references to attacks like a young man getting his head dipped in a bucket of syrup, are pulled directly from Davis’ own upbringing.
Watch Purlie Victorious here.
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Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer, activist, documentarian and an Award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia is also the host and Executive Producer of BACKSTAGE PASS WITH LIA CHANG, an Arts and Entertainment and Lifestyle program that airs on Sundays at 6:30pm on FIOS 34, RCN 83, Spectrum 56/1996 and streams on MNN2. Lia was recently profiled on Asian American Life. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. www.liachang.com www.liachangphotography.com
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