Purple Dreams

Northwest School of the Arts, a public magnet school in Charlotte, N.C., is chosen to be the first high school permitted to perform The Color Purple - the Broadway musical adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel. Under the leadership of theater arts teacher and director Corey Mitchell, students and faculty members are called on to work hard to bring the production to life, doing justice to the adult themes of the material but also dealing with issues in their own lives that mirror what they portray onstage. From auditions to opening night and beyond, the filmmakers follow these students and their teachers as they pursue their dreams. Watching these amazing students grapple with presenting the story of Celie, Mister, and Shug, we are inspired by the journeys of Mekhai, Britany, Keston, Phillip, Danielle, and Javontre - who not only find fulfillment in acting, singing, and dancing but also create paths forward in their lives after high school. (Full Frame Documentary Film Festival)