Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea
by Nathan Alan Davis

Name: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea
Brand: Nathan Alan Davis
SKU: 9780573706158
Rating: 4.17 (2 reviews)

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea Book Cover — Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

90 mins Present Day Role(s) for Black Actor(s) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Awards & Recognition

KCACTF: Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival New Play

Synopsis

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.

Press Reviews

"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

"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

"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

"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

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
DONTRELL JONES III (M,18, Black) Heir to a haunting and powerful legacy.	—	—	(M,18, Black) Heir to a haunting and powerful legacy.
ERIKA (W, 21, White) A lifeguard and Dontrell’s soul mate.	—	—	(W, 21, White) A lifeguard and Dontrell’s soul mate.
DAD (Dontrell Jones Jr.) – (M, 40s, Black) Dontrell’s father.	male	40s	(Dontrell Jones Jr.) – (M, 40s, Black) Dontrell’s father.
MOM (Sophia Jones) – (W, 40s, Black) Dontrell’s mother.	female	40s	(Sophia Jones) – (W, 40s, Black) Dontrell’s mother.
DANIELLE (W, 17, Black) Dontrell’s little sister.	female	—	(W, 17, Black) Dontrell’s little sister.
SHEA (W, 30s, Black) Dontrell’s cousin on his father's side.	male	30s	(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.	—	—	(M, 19, Black) Dontrell’s best friend and an honorary member of the family.