Review: Purlie Victorious Delivers at Studio Theatre

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Ossie Davis's biting and hilarious satire shines at Studio Theatre

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While I was in graduate school studying arts management several years ago, I had a discussion with a professor while I was writing my thesis about regional theatre artistic directors. As you can imagine, I spent time thinking about the curation of seasons - decisions that can certainly carry some weight for these artistic leaders. This professor and I had shared many thoughts throughout my research, and we especially spent a lot of time thinking about how the selection of a production needs to have intentionality.

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I’ve said it before on this very publication, and it’s lovingly ripped off from said professor, but this idea can be boiled down to 2 simple questions: Why this play? Why now? If a company can answer those two questions clearly, then they’ve got something that can move forward.

In the case of Studio Theatre’s PURLIE VICTORIOUS, Artistic Director David Muse has answered this in spades. With Ossie Davis ’s recently resurrected work, originally produced in 1961, we’ve got something that’s as timely as it was back then, and that’s expertly directed by DC stalwart, Psalmayene 24. Many theatre goers will be aware that the piece recently had a well-received revival on Broadway in 2023, starring Leslie Odom Jr. of Hamilton fame.

Perhaps more significant about this revival, however, is the fact that the play’s recent success has undoubtedly renewed interest in the work at regional theatres across the country. At Studio, DC audiences can now experience Davis’s biting satire set in rural Georgia in “the recent past” about a passionate black man seeking to reopen a church to spread the word of freedom and empowerment to the Black sharecroppers in the town. The piece expertly uses comedy to seemingly disarm mostly white audiences so that they can better engage with and understand the very important and serious themes underpinning the comedy.

Right away, we’re introduced to the vivacious Purlie Victorious Judson ( Warner Miller ), a middle-aged man who has the spirit and gumption of someone twenty years younger. Purlie is a righteous man, or at least that’s the image he projects to those around him. He’s also got something in common with my wife - when he says he intends to do something, you might as well go ahead and get ready for that thing to indeed be done. My wife…I mean…Purlie…doesn’t stop until he brings the plan to fruition, for better or worse. Its equally his greatest strength and weakness.

Purlie has returned to his hometown with a fancy suit and vocabulary, and he intends to purchase the old church in town. Big Bethel, the name of the church and Purlie’s holy grail in this show, would not only give Purlie standing in the community but also an opportunity to preach freedom to the black cotton pickers in town. There is one big problem, though. He doesn’t have the money…or much money at all to speak of. He’s not alone, though, as nearly all of the latter are indebted to the town’s racist, white patriarch, Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee (Stephen Patrick Martin ).

Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee, besides being a foil to Purlie’s plan, is the very embodiment of not only the abhorrent racism of many white Southerners at this time but also of the rampant hypocrisy they often held close to the vest. For instance, he quizzes his “faithful” worker, Gitlow, on his happiness as a sharecropper but hardly listens or cares about the latter’s responses. Gitlow’s refrain, “You the boss, boss,” is good enough for Cap’n. He claims victory and seems to justify his treatment of the non-white inhabitants in town. It’s easy to see how this exchange is representative of the racist thought that permeated the American South and the country in those days.

Purlie schemes up a way to go up against Cap’n and get the money, which means he enlists the help of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins ( Danaya Esperanza ). She must pose as Purlie’s deceased cousin, Cousin Bee. “Cousin Bee” is owed a $500 inheritance - the exact amount that Purlie needs to buy the church. As long as Cap’n Cotchipee is convinced of the cousin’s identity, Purlie and his associate will get the money and buy the church with no issues. However, we quickly come to learn that nothing quite goes according to Purlie’s plans.

Both his brother, Gitlow ( Jason Bowen ), and sister-in-law, Missy Judson ( Kelli Blackwell ), get roped into the scheme, and it seems they’re all too familiar with those from the brain of their itinerant kin. Gitlow is an especially good asset for Purlie, though, as he works for Cotchipee in the latter’s general store. He’s a bit of a trusted insider, but it ironically doesn’t make the scheme any easier to execute. Obstacles are a frequent bedfellow of our protagonist, and for much of the proceedings, it seems he has more heart than sense.

Still, Purlie has plenty of allies and co-conspirators along the way. Charlie Cotchipee ( John Sygar ), the Ol’ Cap’n’s son, disagrees sharply (but secretly) with his father’s racist views of people of color. The younger Cotchipee is college-educated and has a hand in the businesses his father rules with an iron fist. Tired of watching his father cheat and essentially entrap the laborers into endlessly spiraling debt, Charlie seizes any opportunity he can to mend his conscience and help Purlie and his associates.

Additionally, the family’s longtime housekeeper, Idella Landy ( Lizan Mitchell ), lends her sage advice and comedic quips. She’s also the family’s longtime housekeeper and surrogate mother, so she’s in a privileged position to help however she can. Still, and you’ve heard me say this before, nothing goes according to plan.

The play loses a bit of steam in the second half as it suddenly needs to tie together several loose threads. Despite this, the piece has an opinion and a creative execution. Plus, there’s an expert company on stage telling the story.

As Purlie Victorious Judson, Warner Miller gives an exceptional performance with the bravado and confidence to fill the entire black box space. Often too confident or even arrogant, Purlie is his own worst enemy most of the time, but he has good intentions and a fiery passion. Miller brings this to life well, but audiences shouldn’t overlook the nuance in his performance. Miller gives us the slightest peeks at the character’s insecurities and vulnerabilities. However, just like Purlie, he hides them away just before you can be sure of what you think you saw.

His partner in crime, Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, is certainly a step behind in terms of scheming and street smarts, and Danaya Esperanza brings that to life here in Studio’s production. Her sickeningly sweet take on the character complements Miller well, but she’s working against a somewhat flat and static character. Kelli Blackwell and Jason Bowen pair together nicely as Missy and Gitlow Judson, respectively, and Lizan Mitchell ’s Idella Landy is a matronly hug mixed with sass and a sharp wit on the side.

Moving to the antagonist camp, Stephen Patrick Martin certainly possesses the strength and gravitas needed for the town’s patriarchal mob boss, Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee. Martin balances the absurd nature of the piece with a believable villain that’s perhaps oblivious to the racism and white savior complex deeply embedded in his soul. Or, maybe he knows and just doesn’t care. Either way, Martin delivers a powerful performance, which is contrasted sharply with John Sygar ’s nebbish interpretation of his son, Charlie.

Different from his father in nearly every way, Charlie is smart and principled. He knows the treatment of these sharecroppers is wrong and sticks to his principles. Sygar, a recent Broadway veteran of SWEPT AWAY, nails the role. He continues to grow as a fine DC actor, and one hopes he will continue to get opportunities to show off his ample chops in the future.

One thing that I always appreciate about the creatives at Studio Theatre is that they are constantly experimenting and making the most of what could otherwise be a bland space. Each show there is a mystery box that only ever contains delightful surprises that rewards the senses with a new and creative utilization of their standard proscenium-style playing space.

In PURLIE VICTORIOUS, set designer Alexander Woodward continues this tradition with an inviting and intimate interior of a simple and rustic wooden home. It’s almost as if he turned a shoebox on its side, opened the top, and built a set inside. The initial setting harkens back to the American past of days gone by. It looks like a wooden cabin built somewhere in the rural American South and has the feel of a structure containing the blood, sweat, and tears of those who labored to build it with their own two hands. It’s intimate and pulls the audience a little closer.

This is also true of Cidney Forkpah’s costume design, which threads the needle of a period piece but without a definitive time given. There’s a lot of wiggle room here with the setting, but Forkpah has clearly made specific and focused choices to help root the world of the play.

Other members of the creative team include: Colin K. Bills (Lighting Designer), Kathy Ruvuna (Sound Designer), Robb Hunter (Fight Choreographer), Adrien-Alice Hansel (Dramaturg), John Keith Hall (Production Stage Manager), Zora Allison (Assistant Stage Manager), Kim Bey (Dialect Coach), Guy Davis (Original Music Composer ), Jeffrey Martin (Director of Production), Rhiannon Sanders (Technical Director), and Katja Zarolinski (Casting).

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. It is a testament to the power of satire, the resilience of those whose stories shaped this country, and the artists who continue to breathe life into them. Studio has once again proven that thoughtful curation paired with bold creative choices can yield an experience that lingers long after the final bow.

PURLIE VICTORIOUS runs from now until June 21, 2026 at DC’s Studio Theatre. The play runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.

Photo Credit (from L to R): Kelli Blackwell (Missy Judson), Warner Miller (Purlie Victorious Judson), Jason Bowen (Gitlow Judson), and Danaya Esperanza (Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins)

Photography by Teresa Castracane

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/article/Review-PURLIE-VICTORIOUS-at-Studio-Theatre-20260511)._