Purlie Victorious Reviews

MetroWeekly- Highly Recommended

"...Maybe in another hundred years that Confederate flag really will be dead and buried, the enfranchisement of Black Americans will truly feel secure, and Purlie Victorious will finally feel like ancient history, not today's news."

Talkin Broadway- Highly Recommended

"...The performances could not be better, led by Miller's sly yet sincere delivery and Esperanza's wide-eyed amazement. The entire company bring great spirit and substance to their characters: Purlie's brother Gitlow (Jason Bowen), who knows how to use subservience as a weapon; his sensible wife, Missy (Kelli Blackwell); Charlie Cotchipee (John Sygar), Ol' Cap'n's son, who wants to change the way his father runs things; and Idella Landy (Lizan Mitchell), Charlie's lifelong caretaker and friend."

MD Theatre Guide- Highly Recommended

"...Sometimes the most influential stories are those hidden in plain sight. The durable shells camouflaging their true essence abstain from cracking open for inspection until retrospection. Only then, can an audience truly process its weight. “Purlie Victorious (A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch)” is the apex of tales of this sort. Studio Theatre’s production revives a wildly entertaining satire utilizing archetypes and humor to reclaim a heritage and expose the absurdities of American racism in the process—and it is victorious!"

The Georgetown Dish- Highly Recommended

"...Purlie Victorious premiered in1961, and wove together the aspirations of Purlie, an African American preacher, within the deeply entrenched racism of 1950s southern Georgia. It was written by the multitalented Ossie Davis, who first starred in it as Purlie. The play, rich in historical context, reflects a profound yearning for change amidst a society clinging to outdated norms. Against a backdrop of the civil rights movement, Purlie's journey becomes a microcosm of the broader struggle for African American freedom and dignity."

BroadwayWorld- Highly Recommended

"...In the end, Studio Theatre’s PURLIE VICTORIOUS stands as a reminder of how vital intentional programming can be when a company commits to work that challenges, delights, and provokes in equal measure. Muse and Psalmayene 24 have brought forward a production that honors Ossie Davis’s legacy while giving DC audiences a chance to sit with a piece that still reverberates loudly in our current moment."

Hill Rag- Highly Recommended

"...Psalmayene 24’s 'Purlie Victorious' is freshly laundered, updated and ready for a night out on the town. No attention to detail has been spared, from the squeaky screen door hinges to the sweet potato pie and the smooth as silk southern dialects."

DC Theater Arts- Highly Recommended

"...It seems the company’s intent is to deflate racism, its power and credence — to take agency and reclaim what has haunted us — but in doing so, by downplaying these moments of truth and lived realities, something may have been lost in this interpretation of the text."