Ossie Davis News

Tony and Grammy Award-winning artist Leslie Odom, Jr. announced a second performance at the London Palladium, with producers Darren Bell and Cuffe & Taylor citing overwhelming demand for the solo concert.

Tony and Grammy Award-winning artist Leslie Odom, Jr. will perform live in concert at the London Palladium, presented by producers Darren Bell and Cuffe & Taylor. The evening will feature selections from the American Songbook, pop favourites, and songs from HAMILTON.

See photos from inside opening night of a new production of SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD, now playing at Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick. The production will run through June 14 at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center.

What did our critic think of PURLIE VICTORIOUS at Studio Theatre?

BAM Rose Cinemas will present FILMAFRICA 2026, a showcase of contemporary and classic Pan-African cinema curated by the New York African Film Festival, featuring world, US, and North American premieres from Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and beyond.

BAM’s annual DanceAfrica Festival will return to Brooklyn from May 16-28, 2026. The long-running celebration of African and diasporic dance and culture will feature performances, films, dance classes, and community events across the BAM campus.

The lineup has been announced for the 33rd edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF), spotlighting 14 contemporary and classic feature films and 25 short films.

Two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young will join the cast of the first ever Broadway revival of David Auburn’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof, directed by Tony Award winner Thomas Kail.

We had the opportunity to interview Jim Vagias about the show, his work at ATG and his plans for the future. 

U.S. Cultural Ambassador Ronald Rand will be bringing Harold Clurman, the 'Elder Statesman of the American Theatre' alive in the South Caroilna premiere of his solo play, Let It Be Art! at the Bluebird Theatre in Orangeburg.

Amas Musical Theatre will celebrate its 58th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit on Monday, May 11, 2026 at “Rosetta's Place” at Penthouse 45 (432 West 45th Street - NYC). 

What did our critic think of AN EVENING WITH SUTTON FOSTER at Emerson Colonial Theatre?

The Bret Adams & Paul Reisch Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2025 Idea Awards for Theatre, recognizing adventurous new voices in playwriting and musical theatre alongside the visionary playwrights who have shaped the field.

The Olivier Award-winning Oedipus, an adaptation created and directed by Robert Icke, will begin performances on Broadway on Thursday, October 30, 2025. Meet the cast of Oedipus here!

West Coast Black Theatre's  26th season themed “Soul of a People”, opens with the lively musical 'Purlie.' This energetic production is based on Ossie Davis's charming play 'Purlie Victorious.'

The Folger Theatre’s production of “Julius X,” Letson’s heartfelt and moving treatment of the break between Malcolm and the Nation of Islam, a break which culminated in his assassination at the hands of his former brothers, is a cautionary tale for our time—and for any time. 

PURLIE VICTORIOUS: A NON-CONFEDERATE ROMP THROUGH THE COTTON PATCH is certainly a curiosity, a satire of Jim Crow life written during the throes of the equal rights movement of the early sixties. I feel like it should seem more creaky, more antiquated, and backwards. Unfortunately for us, it is not.

Main Street Theater (MST) opens its 50th Season with the regional premiere of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch by Ossie Davis.

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has announced the first show in its 2025-2026 “Soul Of A People” theatre season: “Purlie.” Learn more about the upcoming production here!

Main Street Theater continues its season with Ossie Davis’ groundbreaking satire Purlie Victorious, a play that blends sharp humor with a powerful exploration of race, dignity, and resilience. At the heart of the production is Houston actor and costume designer Krystal Uchem, who steps into the role of Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins....