‘Purlie Victorious’ Review: Broadway Revival of the Ossie Davis Satire Is a Delightful Romp Centering Black Joy and the Absurdity of Racism
variety.comAramide Tinubu The final act of the uproarious “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” opens with a character waving a folding chair through the air, a reference to the August 2023 Montgomery Riverfront Racial Brawl.
The wave of shrieking laughs from the audience showcases just how topical Ossie Davis’ 1961 play still is today, 62 years after it first debuted on Broadway. “Purlie Victorious” opens in Southern Georgia in a rundown farmhouse, home to generations of Black sharecroppers.
Purlie Victorious Judson (Leslie Odom Jr.) bustles through the front door. Sharply dressed and clearly in a hurry, Purlie, who the audience quickly learns has the gift for gab, calls out for anyone who might not be in the fields yet.
Coming through the door shortly after Purlie is the petite but boisterous Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins (Kara Young), scrambling to keep up with the quick-footed preacher without toppling over under the weight of her large suitcase.
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