Review: THE COLOR PURPLE at Arts & Science Center For Southeast Arkansas

Soulful and unapologetic in their storytelling, the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff teamed up for their first-ever collaboration on The Color Purple, which ran from April 9–13. They couldn’t have chosen a more powerful or fitting production to mark the beginning of this partnership, delivering a moving and unforgettable experience to their audiences. Under the visionary direction of Taijee and Michelle Young-Hobbs, this powerful production brings Alice Walker’s beloved story to vivid life on stage. With stirring choreography by Daija Black and inspiring music direction by La’Leata May, The Color Purple was an unforgettable journey of resilience, love, and triumph.  

The Color Purple charts the harrowing and heroic journey of Celie (Ashley Hood), a woman who endures unimaginable suffering yet dares to hope for more. Her life begins under the brutal hand of her abusive father, Pa (Warren L. Booker Jr.), who forces her into marriage with the equally cruel Mister/Albert (Alex Williams), the son of the pitiless Ol’ Mister (Torres De’Von Eskew). In the wake of relentless abuse, Celie is torn from everything she holds dear — her children, Adam (Raymond Wallace) and Olivia (Whitney Tippy), stolen from her arms; her sister, Nettie (Rae’vyn Walker), driven away by Mister’s rage; and even her great love, Shug (Angelica Glass), lost to betrayal. 

Yet amid the wreckage of her spirit, Celie finds glimmers of strength. She forges a bond with the fierce and unbreakable Sofia (Portia S. Jones), wife to Mister’s son Harpo (Sa’teh Hampton). But even here, life is messy and full of heartbreak: Harpo takes up with the bold Squeak (K. Brejai), Sofia finds companionship in Buster (Raymond Wallace), and Squeak runs away with Shug’s own husband, Grady (Marcel Haynes). Just as Celie leans on Shug for love, she is shattered again when Shug turns to a nineteen-year-old boy. 

Through each betrayal, each loss, Celie rises. She summons a power she never knew she had — breaking free from Mister’s grip, building a new life as a creator of clothing, claiming her own home, and, at long last, reuniting with the family that was torn from her. In the final moments, as the gentle plumber Bobby (Isaiah Austin) casts her a flirtatious glance, it is as though the universe itself bows to her resilience, whispering: you have survived — now, live. 

This show stirred up emotions that lingered long after the final bow — emotions of heartbreak, hope, anger, and ultimately, joy. As the show opened with Young Celie (Zabdiel Hyche) and Young Nettie (Spencer Steward), you knew this was going to be something special. Then, when the southern (Greek) chorus (Jayla Lee, Hayley Moorehead, Dr. Teanna Williams, and Alexandria Ny’Cole) came in, gossiping like the church ladies do, the entire room seemed to light up with familiarity and spirit. Their vibrant energy, wit, and rhythmic storytelling wove through the show like a heartbeat, grounding the audience in the world of the characters and setting the tone for a story that would be raw, real, and deeply human. 

This show features rough, aggressive men, and it’s tough to love them — even though, somehow, we do. Through all their flaws and cruelty, the performances are so layered that you catch glimpses of the brokenness underneath the brutality. Alex Williams as Mister gave us a man hardened by generations of pain, yet by the end, he revealed just enough vulnerability to make you wonder if redemption was possible. Sa’teh Hampton’s Harpo was a breath of lightness amid the heaviness, bringing a tender, often humorous touch to the story as he struggled — sometimes clumsily — to unlearn what the world had taught him about love and manhood. These actors didn’t ask us to excuse their characters, but rather to understand the complex, imperfect humans they portrayed. 

Now, this was my second time seeing Warren L. Booker Jr. as Pa, and I despised him just as much this time around — in the best way possible. If you’ve ever met Warren, you know he is the stark opposite of Pa: warm, kind, and full of light. That’s what makes his performance even more impressive. He fully disappears into the role, embodying Pa’s cruelty with a chilling authenticity that immediately sets the stakes for Celie’s story. His ability to make you loathe him while still appreciating the artistry behind the performance speaks volumes about his talent and dedication. 

It’s the women of this show that really anchored the heart of the story. Their strength, vulnerability, and fierce determination radiated from the stage with every song, every glance, every tear. Ashley Hood’s portrayal of Celie was nothing short of breathtaking — she carried the weight of Celie’s pain and the spark of her hope with such grace that you couldn’t help but root for her at every turn. Rae’vyn Walker’s Nettie brought a quiet resilience that made their bond feel sacred, while Angelica Glass’s Shug was magnetic, embodying freedom, passion, and the complicated layers of love. Portia S. Jones as Sofia was a force of nature, commanding every scene with her fire and unapologetic spirit, reminding everyone in the room what it means to stand tall even when the world tries to break you. And let’s not forget K. Brejai’s Squeak, who brought just the right amount of sass, sweetness, and spunk to light up every scene she was in — you couldn’t help but smile whenever she hit the stage. I loved them all! 

Coming up next is MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL, and I can’t wait. For more information, visit their website at https://www.artx3.org. 

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