WILLIS RICHARDSON PLAYERS
presents
Purlie Victorious
Ruth and Bucky Stein Theatre
January 16-18 · 2026
FRI-SAT 8:00 PM · SAT-SUN 3:00 PM
Purlie Victorious—the spirited comedy by celebrated playwright, actor, and activist Ossie Davis—premiered on Broadway in 1961 and has remained a touchstone of American theatre ever since. Praised for its biting wit and bold call for freedom and dignity, the play speaks just as urgently today as it did more than sixty years ago.
Set in the Jim Crow South, this sharply satirical work follows Reverend Purlie Victorious Judson, a charismatic preacher who returns to his rural Georgia home with a mission: to reclaim his rightful inheritance and liberate his community from the oppressive grip of Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee. As Purlie pursues justice, he encounters a vivid cast of characters and navigates a series of comedic twists and turns that highlight both the humor and resilience inherent in the struggle for freedom.
Directed by Mr. Fracaswell Hyman, Advisor of the Willis Richardson Players, Purlie Victorious arrives onstage on the eve of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, offering a timely blend of laughter and reflection. While undeniably a comedy, the play sheds powerful light on issues of social injustice—issues that continue to resonate strongly within today’s political climate. The inequities of the past, as Davis reveals, are echoed in the persistent economic disparities of our own time—disparities that often restrict social mobility from one generation to the next.
As we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Purlie Victorious invites us to reflect on the still-urgent pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness, and to recommit ourselves to an inclusive vision of unity, dignity, and equality for all.
