Acclaimed playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is gearing up to return to Broadway with his latest work, “Purpose.” The play is set to begin previews on February 25, 2025, at the historic Helen Hayes Theater, with the official opening date still to be announced.
“Purpose” had its world premiere earlier this year at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where it received widespread acclaim. The play delves into the lives of the fictional Jasper family, a formidable force in Black American politics for decades, known for their roles as civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen. However, beneath the surface of their public personas lies a web of secrets and familial tensions.
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In an interview with Playbill, Jacobs-Jenkins shed light on the inspiration behind the play, noting that the Jasper family is “wrestling with the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and how it lives now or does not live now…That movement gave a certain generation a sense of purpose that I don’t know that the children in this play feel connected to.”
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The creative team behind “Purpose” includes Phylicia Rashad, who will be making her Broadway directorial debut, as well as scenic design by Todd Rosenthal, costume design by Dede M. Ayite, lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker, and sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen. Casting for the production is being handled by JC Clementz and Calleri Jensen Davis, with the cast yet to be announced.
The production of “Purpose” is being brought to Broadway by a team of producers, including David Stone, Debra Martin Chase, Marc Platt, LaChanze, Rashad Chambers, Aaron Glick, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
