The Color Purple, The Musical
:Celie is a poor 14-year-old African-American girl living in rural Georgia in the early 1900s. She writes letters to God because her father Alphonso beats and rapes her, resulting in two children, Olivia and Adam, that he abducts. A farmer identified as "Mister" asks to marry her younger sister Nettie, and Alphonso gives him Celie instead. Mister abuses Celie physically, sexually and verbally. Nettie runs away and stays with Celie, but Mister makes advances toward her so she leaves. Nettie promises to write but never does, and Celie concludes that she is dead.
Mister's son Harpo falls in love with an assertive girl named Sofia, gets her pregnant and marries her. Meanwhile, enter Shug Avery, a jazz and blues singer and Mister's long-time mistress, during an illness. Celie is thrilled to have her there. While Shug is initially rude to Celie, who is nursing her, the two become friends, and Celie becomes infatuated with Shug.
Frustrated by Harpo's domineering behavior, Sofia moves out, taking her children with her. Several months later, Harpo opens a juke joint where a fully recovered Shug performs nightly. Shug stays when she learns that Mister beats Celie when she is away. Shug and Celie grow closer.
Despite being newly married to a man called Grady, Shug instigates a sexual relationship with Celie on her next visit. Shug helps Celie recover letters from Nettie that Mister hid from her for decades. Nettie has joined a couple in African missionary work. This couple, she reveals, has adopted Celie's children, Adam and Olivia.
Having had enough of her husband's abuse, Celie decides to leave Mister along with Shug and Squeak, who is considering a singing career of her own. Celie puts a curse on Mister before leaving him for good, settling in Tennessee and supporting herself as a seamstress.
Celie's stepfather dies, Celie inherits his land, and moves back into her childhood home. Shug falls in love with Germaine, a member of her band, which crushes Celie. Shug travels with Germaine and Celie pledges to love Shug even if Shug does not love her back.
Celie learns that Mister, suffering from a considerable decline in fortunes, has changed dramatically, and Celie begins calling him by his first name, Albert. Albert proposes that they marry "in the spirit as well as in the flesh", but Celie declines.
As Celie realizes that she is content in her life without Shug, Shug returns, having ended her relationship with Germaine. Nettie, Adam, and Olivia all arrive at Celie's house. Nettie and Celie reunite after 30 years and introduce one another to their respective families.
Event Type: Community Events