Purlie Victorious

A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

By: Ossie Davis

Narrated by: Leslie Odom Jr., Kara Young, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Billy Eugene Jones, Noah Pyzik, Noah Robbins, Jay O. Sanders, Heather Alicia Simms, Bill Timoney

Experience the Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious, A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch in a captivating production, featuring the incomparable Leslie Odom, Jr. Originally premiering in 1961, this groundbreaking comedy by Ossie Davis is a cornerstone of African American theater.

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, in a Tony Award-winning performance by Kara Young, Purlie hopes to pry loose an inheritance due his long-lost cousin and use the money to restore his beloved church. Through the power and lyricism of his language, Davis incisively and hilariously challenges racial stereotypes and discrimination, as a seminal voice for justice.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

©1961 Ossie Davis (P)2025 AO Media, LLC

Absolutely love this!

Love the performances and the storytelling. So glad to have found this. Love Leslie’s energy, the cast blends so well. Phenomenal!

Wonderful performance

Wonderfully performed and a joy to listen to. Brought up many important things that are relevant today and in a kind and clever way. I think it's a must listen.

The Performance

The performance was so good but I expect nothing less from Leslie Odom Jr! Ossie Davis would be proud!

A packed performance

A fun and powerful story of injustice and trickery in Georgia. The narrators were very good as were the effects.

Great performance

I liked the story.I liked the Ending.
Though I did kind of see it coming.
I like the fact that this store Ending.
Though I did kind of see it coming.
I like the fact that this story. Was done in the time period dialect and they did it want the same group of actors and voice performers to do more books like this. It was great. I hope that they do the color purple like this. Because that's my favorite story in all of the world. And I hope that tventure.
Out into this form more because it was wonderful.It was great.I liked it a lot

What an Amazingly Powerful Portrayal of Black Southern Life - and Funny Too!

No surprise that Ossie Davis wrote this in the 60s. A heartfelt tribute to Black people in America. Told through the eyes of someone who lived thru some pretty tough times. Leslie Odom has done a mighty good thing, I'm shar8ng with everyone I know. Now, we need to see this on Broadway...it's THAT good!

Good storyline…and funny

Some people would call this poetic justice, the bonus is, it’s funny!!! Attention keeping and well done!

A great listen!

Purlie and his family are determined to reclaim their church. Armed with righteous indignation and an imposter relative, they go up against a bigoted plantation owner to get money rightly due to the family. Little did they know twas unnecessary. There was an angel at work on their behalf, smack dab in the middle of the bed of snakes. A great listen, wonderfully performed by all parties, that harkens back to the days when men were even less kind and upstanding than they are now.

Loved the plethora of characters

What a wonderful story, the characters played it so well, it’s as if you were right there with them . How I wish every story could be told with such conviction.

Amazing production!

I had never heard of this play, so for me this was an unexpected gem. The plot was engaging, and felt timely, not dated at all. It was really the acting, though, that made the show shine. Absolutely outstanding performances all around.