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Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  4w, 3m

Blending poetry, humour, wordplay and ritual, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea is a present-day hero’s quest exploring the lengths and depths we must go to redeem history’s wrongs.

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adventure, Fables/Folktales
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
Eighteen-year-old Dontrell Jones the Third decides that it is his duty and destiny to venture into the Atlantic Ocean in search of an ancestor lost during the Middle Passage. But his family is not at all ready to abandon its prized son to the waters of a mysterious and haunting past. Blending poetry, humor, wordplay, and ritual, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea is a present-day hero’s quest exploring the lengths and depths we must go to redeem history’s wrongs.
History
Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea premiered at the Source Festival in Washington DC in June 2014 under the direction of Mark Hairston. The show subsequently received an NNPN Rolling World Premiere.
DONTRELL JONES III – (M,18, Black) Heir to a haunting and powerful legacy.
ERIKA – (W, 21, White) A lifeguard and Dontrell’s soul mate.
DAD (Dontrell Jones Jr.) – (M, 40s, Black) Dontrell’s father.
MOM (Sophia Jones) – (W, 40s, Black) Dontrell’s mother.
DANIELLE – (W, 17, Black) Dontrell’s little sister.
SHEA – (W, 30s, Black) Dontrell’s cousin on his father's side.
ROBBY – (M, 19, Black) Dontrell’s best friend and an honorary member of the family.
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay coast and the Atlantic Ocean. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language

Media

“A mesmerizing blend of magical realism and poetic social comment.” – The Los Angeles Times

“Nathan Alan Davis’s script is sunny and lovable, despite its inexorable pull from present-day Baltimore toward the slave trade’s notorious Middle Passage.” – The Washington Post, Read More 

“This fable about a young Black man’s search for an ancestor who leapt off a slave ship as it crossed the Atlantic weaves storytelling, music, dance and ritual into a fantastical tapestry... the result is thrilling.” – Los Angeles Post, Read More

“Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea breaks over us like wave upon wave of human love and hope, submerges us in honesty, buoys us by its bold vision and heartfelt voice... this beautiful new play is an absolute must.” – DC Metro Theaer Arts, Read More

Critic’s Choice! “A mesmerizing blend of magical realism and poetic social comment.” – The Los Angeles Times, Read More

“This play’s greatness doesn’t really come from the plot, though the plot’s water-tightness and inevitability show playwright Nathan Alan Davis’ incredible skill. The characters and poetically transfixing language are the real stars.” – DC Theatre Scene, Read More

“This play illuminates a corner of the human condition and will change the way we understand a hero in the context of his family.” – Eugene Weekly, Read More

Videos

  • Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – RhinoLeap Trailer youtube thumbnail

    Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – RhinoLeap Trailer

  • 	Director Wallace Bridges discusses Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – EMU Theatre youtube thumbnail

    Director Wallace Bridges discusses Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea – EMU Theatre

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Nathan Alan Davis

Nathan Alan Davis is a playwright from Rockford, IL, now based in New York. His plays include Nat Turner in Jerusalem, Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea and The Wind and the Breeze. His work has been produced and developed by New York Theatre Workshop, McCarter Theatre, The Public ...
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