PURPOSE Previews

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/24/25 at 12:00am

Fresh off last year’s Tony win for Appropriate, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins returns to Broadway with his latest epic family drama Purpose, slated to begin previews tomorrow (February 25). Marking the Broadway directorial debut of Phylicia Rashad, the cast features LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Harry Lennix, Jon Michael Hill, Glenn Davis, Alana Arenas, and Kara Young. Well-received last year in Chicago, Purpose opens on March 17 at the Helen Hayes Theatre and runs through July 6.

“For decades, the influential Jasper family has been a pillar of Black American politics: civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen. But like all families, there are cracks and secrets just under the surface. When the youngest son Nazareth returns home with an uninvited friend in tow, the family is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith, and the legacies of Black political power and familial duty.”

Who’s joining the family?

[gibsons2]

Posted: 2/24/25 at 9:13pm

I'm going this Saturday. If anyone sees the play earlier this week, please do share some feedback!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/24/25 at 9:15pm

I’m quite excited about this one.

[The Other One]

Posted: 2/24/25 at 10:11pm

I saw it at Steppenwolf and absolutely loved it.  I'm seeing Thursday night's preview and I'm so looking forward to revisiting it.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/24/25 at 10:17pm

Does anyone have an idea of content warnings? Can I   take my mother to this?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 6:22am

Can anyone comment on whether there is molestation/child sex abuse? I avoid these shows because I’m a survivor and the description made me wonder… thanks in advance.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 8:10am

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

There is discussion of sexuality but not incest or molestation. There's no nudity or anything all that explicit. 

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 5:10pm

Criterion Ticketing says 3-hour runtime, including an intermission. 

[Voter]

Posted: 2/25/25 at 6:53pm

TotallyEffed said: "Does anyone have an idea of content warnings? Can I take my mother to this?"

 

 

I believe there is a gun shot in it

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 12:08am

Anyone who was there tonight, how was the show?

[MezzA101]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 12:14pm

Inside Man: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Returns to Broadway With ‘Purpose’ | Vogue

 

https://www.vogue.com/article/branden-jacob-jenkins-purpose-april-2025

[raddersons]

Posted: 2/26/25 at 11:53pm

BJJ does not miss.

At the 2nd preview tonight and sure the show could use some tightening up, but it’s still a firecracker of a play. The show’s exposition is a bit too long and has about 4 endings… but the dinner scene in Act 1 is one of the best I’ve seen in years. Once Kara Young shows up the show really takes off (of course, she continues to be one of the funniest young actors in New York). A lot to chew on here as well, about family obligations and growth (or not), and about what we are willing to acknowledge vs what we don’t want to see. I probably related most to the themes of politics within families — when to be quiet when it’s advantageous vs when to speak up, or when people serve a use to you vs when it’s good to be good and honest in itself. 

I don’t think it’s quite at Appropriate levels of good but it’s still a great play. 

Updated On: 2/27/25 at 11:53 PM

[vegas3]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 12:16am

Thank you for the report.  Do you have any seating advice?

[raddersons]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 12:28am

I was center mezz which was great. The Hayes is such an intimate theater but wow leg room is rough. Some of the portraits on the top floor of the set were cut off where I was but I don’t recall any actual acting happening up there so nothing was missed.

[suzycat]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 12:30am

Any discounts for this? It’s up on TDF but not for the date I need. Thx!

[gibsons2]

Posted: 2/27/25 at 9:12am

suzycat said: "Any discounts for this? It’s up on TDF but not for the date I need. Thx!"

 

TodayTix has the theater sale going on and you can get really great orchestra seats for $79 (including fees). There are also discount codes TRUTH and FAMILY but they aren't as good as TodayTix discounts at the moment.

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 9:04am

I saw this last night and thought it was… fine. About 20-30 minutes too long (that whole final scene was a SLOG and the constant narration is mostly irritating rather than illuminating) and loses its momentum in act two, but most of the performances are very good and act one does move along at a nice clip.

Ultimately, I just don’t really know that it’s noteworthy other than being written by an in-demand playwright post-Tony win. It’s a pretty paint-by-numbers family drama (everyone comes to dinner, secrets are revealed, things get a little messy, and then the dust settles) without getting close to the bite of plays like August: Osage County or even Appropriate. The closest we get is the dinner scene, and even that only heats up in the last 5 minutes or so of that scene. The rest of the play meanders a bit too much to create any real tension.

I do have to give a shout out to all three women in this play, who all uniformly deliver excellent and fully realized performances. LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Alana Arenas, and Kara Young are all doing great work - though I’m not totally sure Kara Young’s talents are fully required here; it’s kind of a nothing role, ultimately, but she does her best with the material she has.

And for those asking about appropriateness, this is totally fine to bring a parent to. Spoiler tag for other content warning:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

There is a gunshot, but it’s offstage and a sound effect; not a prop gun. There is no blood at all.

All in all, an okay play, but nothing I’d really recommend unless you can get an affordable ticket. I got a TodayTix rush ticket, was in the second to last row center mezz, and thought that was a great view for just the right amount.

[The Other One]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 9:18am

I also saw it last night. Act One is terrific, Act Two does indeed meander (more so here in NY than it did in Chicago) but I think the play ends beautifully.  As the narration all comes from one character, whose memory of this weekend the play is, I had no problem with it at all.  I do agree that the play should and could be shorter.  Whether through pacing or editing, I hope Act Two is tightened up.

Overall, though, it seemed in great shape for a fourth preview.

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 10:23am

I could've done without all the fourth wall breaking narration following the opening introduction.  Many times, it just stopped the momentum, and at times unnecessary.  In one scene, the narrator says how he was awake to hear a conversation between his mom and brother, and then that scene plays out.  Just do the scene!

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 10:43am

I agree the narration slows the play down. I think symbolically it creates a sense of isolation for the main character, tho, that feels like an essential part of the theme of the show. He's not IN the story. Just like he's not IN the family, really. 

I don't think that means its necessary... but I think it's an interesting thing to grapple with.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 10:50am

Oh no. More narration. The one thing I did not like about Liberation.

 

[raddersons]

Posted: 2/28/25 at 1:00pm

Yeah like I said when I posted, I think there’s tightening up that will happen. We’re still in the first week of performances, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they were able to shave off a full 10 minutes in the next few weeks. The end definitely drags and the narration piece needs some work, especially at the beginning which feels like a big info dump. But when the show is in motion, it’s REALLY great. 

Updated On: 2/28/25 at 01:00 PM

[gibsons2]

Posted: 3/1/25 at 11:53pm

I thought this play was absolutely extraordinary.  Better than Appropriate. Extremely well written characters and some of the monologues are just nothing short of genius in their depth. Especially the one about motherhood delivered by LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Very, very powerful piece. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 3/2/25 at 10:31am

an excellent play. nothing groundbreaking here, but it flies by for 3 full hours, and whereas Appropriate turned on a star performance, this is much more of an ensemble piece with competing sympathies and perspectives. Steam dissipates a bit in Act 2, which gets predictable and then silly for a bit, but Act 1 Is really a sublime 90 minutes plot/performance wise.  The last scene is again way too long, but the last few lines were very moving. Overall really well done.

that said, theres a good 20 minutes to cut here. I didnt like the narration in Liberation but it was not intrusive at all compared to whats happening here. There are more than a few monologues, but worse, there are mid-scene asides to the audience that are sometimes funny but always pointless. Jenkins is clearly a generational talent but I can't fathom what is gained from the narration here--let the story unfold. 

The other issue with the narration is that its all coming from the main character- who has lots to say as a narrator but whose character is a bit of a hole at the middle of the play. His passivity, his lack of firm perspective or voice is more pronounced because he dips out of that role and into talkative narrator on/off. 

That is no slight to Jon Michael Hill who I hope gets Tony nominated for a beast of a role. The words flow out of him naturally, and while the narrative monologues got irritating, they felt conversational and beautifully delivered. I was also blown away by Henry Lennix who I must have seen in 1000 tv shows here and there but have never seen given such a central meaty character to run with. Kudos.

Kara Young is doing great work as Kara Young, but as far as Outsider Character I thought Alana Arenas got more mileage out of the quips and frustration.  I will say that LaTonya Richardson Jackson felt a bit unsure of herself at times, which is somewhat fatal to that role. There were a few scenes in the second act where I think she just lost her lines, so maybe this will get better with time.

We were extreme right of the very front mezz in seats not marked as partial view but could not see any of the entrances/exits to the family home. Surprised just because the Hayes is usually problem-free seating wise.