Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

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.

Set in Baltimore (and partially developed here back in 2014!), this is a true Charm City story with stops at Johns Hopkins, The National Aquarium, and the Eastern Shore. Staged in the round for maximum audience immersion, director Makeima Freeland’s vision puts the emphasis on the rhythm, poetry, and flow of Nathan Alan Davis’ incredible script.

Performed at The Peale Museum during Black History Month, Dontrell is is a story that asks how we can move forward, venture, and ascend to new heights within our lineage without forgetting where we’ve come from but appreciating it fully.

Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

About Sisters Freehold: Under the co-direction of Makeima Freeland and Ann Turiano, Sisters Freehold is a nonprofit social enterprise that was founded in 2021. They make theatre, but are not necessarily a theatre company—they are a training ground for emerging artists.

About the Director: When she’s not watching Seinfeld or solving puzzles, Makeima Freeland is either reading to wise up or writing her life away through poetry, written prayers, nonfiction monologues about her life, and personal planning. She is passionate about her writing and other forms of creative expression, including directing. That is why theatre, the synthesis of all art forms, suits her well. Makeima loves directing and performing whenever she can. Her favorite acting role is William Barfeé in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, performed at Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she attended before embarking on her journey as Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Sisters Freehold. As a national minority who could have fallen through the cracks of the theatre industry herself, thanks to opportunity gaps and systemic gate-keeping, Makeima was able to prove herself in the industry early on, positioning her into the executive role she is in today where she uses her platform to open the gates for other artists systematically locked out of the theatre industry because as she often loves to say, “Theatre has everything to do with everybody.”

About the Playwright: Nathan Alan Davis is a playwright and screenwriter based in New York and Boston. His writing for the stage includes The Refuge Plays (Roundabout Theatre/NYTW),  Nat Turner in Jerusalem (NYTW), The High Ground (Arena Stage), Eternal Life Part 1 (Wilma Theater), Origin Story (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), The Wind and the Breeze (Cygnet Theatre), and Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea (NNPN Rolling World Premiere).

For his body of work, Nathan has received a Windham-Campbell Prize (2021), a Steinberg Playwright Award (2020), and a Whiting Award in Drama (2018).  His TV/film work includes projects for Netflix, AMC, BET, and Paramount.

He is the Director of the MFA Playwriting Program at Boston University.

Additional Crew: Director, Makeima Elise Freeland; Assistant Director, Ann Turiano; Stage Manager, Alex Perry; Scenic Design, Bruce Kapplin; Dramaturgy, Nathalie Charles; Costumes, Liz Miller. Art by Mirlande Jean-Gilles