It’s Sunday morning in rural Georgia. Sisters Celie and Nettie sing of playing along the riverbank. But arriving at church, Celie drags her feet. As the congregation gossips, the pregnant teenager gives birth to a son.
So begins “The Color Purple.” Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the Tony Award-winning musical follows Celie’s life, loves, hardships, resilience and ultimate empowerment through early 20th century America. Beginning Friday, Sept. 11, The St. Louis Black Repertory Company will launch its 50th anniversary season with an all-new production of “The Color Purple” in WashU’s Edison Theatre.
“After many years of thinking about producing ‘The Color Purple,’ we have decided to open our landmark 50th season with this landmark work,” said Ron Himes, the Henry E. Hampton, Jr. Artist-in-Residence in WashU Arts & Sciences and founder and producing director of The Black Rep. The season, he adds “is packed with a collection of unforgettable journeys of strength, humor and survival.”
Previews for “The Color Purple” will take place Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 9 and 10. Performances run through Sept. 27. The 50th season will then continue with:
“The Colored Museum” by George C. Wolfe. This provocative satire collects 11 “exhibits,” each representing a toxic narrative about Black American experiences. Ranging from aspiration to confrontation and triumph, these seriously funny sketches target old stereotypes while making room for a better future. Jan. 6-25 in Edison Theatre.
“Purpose” by Branden Jacob-Jenkins. When their youngest son, Nazareth, brings home an uninvited friend, a family must reckon with itself, its faith and the legacies of familial duty and Black political power. Winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for best play. Feb. 3-21 at The Grandel.
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange. This iconic work, also celebrating its 50th anniversary, weaves interconnected stories of love, empowerment, struggle and loss into a complex representation of sisterhood. March 3-28 at The Grandel. Presented with the support of the Sophisticated Ladies Giving Initiative.
“Gem of the Ocean” by August Wilson. The ninth installment (and first chronologically) in August Wilson’s acclaimed “Pittsburgh Cycle,” “Gem of the Ocean” unfolds beneath the watchful gaze of Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old wise woman whose home provides sanctuary to the troubled and lost. May 12-30 in Edison Theatre.
Tickets are available at the WashU box office; the Black Rep’s box office, 813 N. Skinker Blvd.; or by calling 314-534-3810. Season subscriptions and student rush tickets also are available. For more information or a complete schedule, visit theblackrep.org.
About The Black Rep
The Black Rep is committed to producing, reimagining and commissioning work written by Black playwrights and creating opportunities for new voices and youth. Support for its 50th season comes from Caleres, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Horsefeathers, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission-ARPA for the Arts, Steward Family Foundation, the Whitaker Foundation and WashU.
The Black Rep is a recipient of the 2026 Thrive Grant, funded by the Mark Edelman Theater Fund and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for theater.
