Purlie Victorious

Dynamic traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save Big Bethel, the community's church, and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on oppressive Ol' Cap'n Cotchipee's plantation. With the assistance of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, Purlie hopes to pry loose from Cotchipee an inheritance due his long-lost cousin and use the money to achieve his goals. Fortunately, Cotchipee's son Charlie proves to be far more fair-minded than his brutal father, saving the church from destruction with a brave act of defiance.[6]

The play premiered in 1961 on Broadway, initially at the Cort Theatre, before finishing out its 261-performance run at the Longacre Theatre. The production was nominated for one Tony Award for Godfrey Cambridge in the category Best Featured Actor in a Play. The production was directed by Howard da Silva, produced by Philip Rose, and costumed by Ann Roth.[7] Martin Luther King Jr. was photographed with the cast after attending a performance.[8]

After the New York production closed in May 1962, Davis and Dee took the play on tour, premiering it in Chicago July 9 through August 5, 1962 at the Edgewater Beach Playhouse.[9]

A filmed version of the play, titled Gone Are the Days! was released in 1963. Davis, Dee, Cambridge, Richards, Alda, and Brooke reprised their roles from the Broadway production.[10]

In 1970, with little involvement from Davis, his play was turned into a Broadway musical, titled Purlie. The production was well received and was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical.

In 2002, an industry reading was held featuring Kerry Washington as Lutiebell, Whoopi Goldberg as Missy, Ruby Dee as Idella and Harold Perrineau as Purlie.[11]

The play has been revived on Broadway in a production directed by Kenny Leon and starring Leslie Odom Jr., Kara Young, and Vanessa Bell Calloway premiered at the Music Box Theatre in previews on September 7, 2023 and officially opened on September 27, 2023 for a limited engagement through January 7, 2024.[4] The limited engagement was later extended through February 4, 2024. [12]

The 2023 Broadway revival received universal acclaim.

Jesse Green of The New York Times wrote, "The “Purlie Victorious” that opened on Wednesday at the Music Box — unaccountably its first Broadway revival — is every bit as scathingly funny as the 1961 reviews said it was.", referencing Howard Taubman's initial 1961 review calling the play “exhilarating,” “uninhibited” and “uproarious,” all in the first three paragraphs.[13]

Tim Teeman of The Daily Beast wrote, "Ossie Davis’ Purlie Victorious (A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch) is both uproarious satire and cultural gut punch—with the biggest clue in its lead character’s name and the play’s title."[14]

Greg Evans of Deadline praised the casting, stating "Starring a magnificent Leslie Odom, Jr., in the title role, and featuring equally fine performances by an enchanting Kara Young, Billy Eugene Jones, Vanessa Bell Calloway and more, Purlie Victorious – full title (and one of the few signifiers of its 1961-era creation): Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch – has been given an urgent – and, oh yes, very, very funny – revival by Leon and his top-notch creative team.[15]

• ​Purlie Victorious​ at the Internet Broadway Database