The day of the event, December 18, was also the 106th birthday of Ossie Davis (1917-2005). Purlie Victorious is now playing at The Music Box Theatre through February 4th, 2024.

Davis, the son of a railroad engineer, was born Raiford Chatman Davis in Cogdell, Ga. His mother’s pronunciation of his initials “R.C.” was heard as “Ossie.” ...