I recently treated myself to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins latest play “Purpose” at the Hayes Theater and you must be sure to catch this play before it closes in June. First things first, under the direction of Phylicia Rashad (who will always be the beautiful and brilliant Claire Huxtable to most of us), there is a clear eyed perspective of a Black family grappling with past hurts, present-day disappointments, and uncertain futures. The all-star cast is a master class in acting with compassion and authenticity and you will find yourself cracking up laughing, tearing up, clutching your pearls, and sometimes shaking your head as this family navigates one another and their varying circumstances.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Harry Lennix in the role of the acerbic patriarch. I had grown accustomed to seeing Lennix as the stoic moral compass in the television show “Blacklist” and it was so great to see his range as a frustrated and disappointed man of a certain age. LaTanya Richardson Jackson played the loving albeit passive aggressive matriarch. I have attended plays that Richardson Jackson has directed but I had never had the pleasure of seeing her as an actor on stage and what a force she is.
Related: ‘Purpose’ is theatrical perfection on Broadway
I can’t say enough about Kara Young (you may know her from her recent tour de force performance in “Purlie Victorious” on Broadway) as the house guest and friend who has somehow found herself in the midst of this family saga or Alana Arenas as the daughter-in-law who is able to draw you into her every move even when she’s merely sulking at the dining room table. The brothers played by John Michael Hill and Glenn Davis complete the cast with thoughtful and sometimes heartbreaking portrayals of the struggles of Black manhood.
I have been a fan of the playwright Jacobs-Jenkins for well over a decade when I first saw his play “Appropriate” at the Signature Theater. I thought it was pure genius to have a play about race in America, racism, lynching, and the transference of white wealth all while having an all-white cast. “Purpose,” meanwhile, tackles race and racism in America and Black wealth with an all-Black cast that is also haunted by various aspects of their past.
It is so important to see representation and quality writing and direction on Broadway, and “Purpose” does not disappoint. To be honest, I have to see the play another one or two times to fully grasp the intricacies of the language and weight of the play. I have no doubt Tony Award-winning Jacobs-Jenkins will be one of the undisputed great American playwrights in the years to come.
“Purpose” is currently playing at the Hayes Theater at 240 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of book “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream” and is co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.