Director's Note: Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

“Future generations, whoever finds this: I hope it finds you well.”
At American Players Theatre, storytelling is an invitation to gather together and wrestle with what it means to be human. Nathan Alan Davis’ Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea speaks directly to that mission. Through poetry, movement, music and spiritual imagination, this play asks us to examine how memory, ancestry and community shape our understanding of ourselves and each
other.

Our world continues to reveal deep fractures in the foundation of humanity. We see divisions rooted in race, inequality, and fear. We see systems that value policy over compassion and silence over truth. These fractures are not new, but they remain with us, challenging every generation to decide whether we will ignore them or confront them honestly. Theatre creates space for that confrontation. It allows us to sit together in shared experience and imagine new possibilities for connection and understanding.

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea follows an eighteen-year-old Black man searching for identity, purpose, and belonging. Dontrell’s journey is deeply personal, but it also feels universal. He longs to understand where he comes from and what pieces of himself have gone unnamed or unclaimed. Through his dreams and spiritual encounters, he discovers that the voices of his ancestors are not
distant echoes but living guides urging him forward.

Nathan Alan Davis has created a work that celebrates the richness of Black storytelling traditions while exploring themes that resonate across cultures and generations. The play’s language pulses with rhythm and lyricism, and its use of movement and ensemble reminds us that storytelling is not only spoken—it is embodied. This production depends on collaboration and collective imagination, values that are central to the work we strive to create at American Players Theatre.

Storytelling has always been a way for communities to preserve history, pass down wisdom, and build empathy. Long before stories were written down, they were carried through voice, dance, and ritual. In this play, storytelling becomes an act of healing. It challenges us to listen more deeply to one another and to recognize the humanity that connects us all.

At a time when our nation continues to struggle with questions of justice, identity, and the value of Black lives, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea offers both urgency and hope. It reminds us that understanding ourselves requires us to confront our histories, honor those who came before us, and remain open to transformation.

Your story matters. Your voice matters. And perhaps the greatest power of theatre is its ability to remind us that sharing our stories can move us toward compassion and change. It is in the sharing that we learn. It is in the sharing that we heal. It is in the sharing that we grow.

- Tyrone Phillips, Director of Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea