‘Purpose’ Review: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Latest Family Drama Is a Brilliant Examination of Legacy, Ambition and Shattered Expectations
variety.comAramide Tinubu Tony Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins understands the intricacies of family. In his award-winning “Appropriate,” starring Sarah Paulson, he wrote about siblings ravaged by the rage of grief.
In his newest Broadway play, “Purpose,” directed by Tony Award-winning Phylicia Rashad, Jacobs-Jenkins showcases a very different family whose long-held secrets and dirty laundry are put on full display during what is meant to be a celebratory weekend.
A breathtaking production that beautifully blends drama and comedy, it is a searing tale that unveils the disconnect between how people see themselves and who they truly are. “Purpose” opens in the middle of the Jasper family’s living room in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Chicago.
The warm-toned setting almost looks palatial as snow falls heavily outside. A glittering chandelier hangs from the ceiling. African art is displayed on every surface; there is a grand staircase; portraits of prominent Black figures, like Dr.
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