PURPOSE opening TONIGHT

 

PURPOSE Arrives on Broadway: A Bold and Electrifying Family Drama

Directed by Phylicia Rashad and Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, PURPOSE Opens Tonight at the Helen Hayes Theater

Some stories demand to be told. PURPOSE, the gripping new play by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Appropriate, The Comeuppance), takes center stage on Broadway tonight, March 17, 2025. Under the visionary direction of Phylicia Rashad, making her historic Broadway directorial debut, PURPOSE is set to run for a limited 19-week engagement at the Helen Hayes Theater through July 6, 2025.

Featuring a powerhouse cast led by LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Harry Lennix, Jon Michael Hill, Glenn Davis, Alana Arenas, and Kara Young, PURPOSE brings to life an epic, multigenerational story that wrestles with power, faith, and the weight of legacy.

A Story Rooted in Legacy and Reckoning

For decades, the influential Jasper family has been at the forefront of African-American politics—civil rights leaders, pastors, congressmen, and architects of change. But behind closed doors, family wounds linger, and long-buried secrets threaten to break the foundations they’ve built. When Nazareth Jasper, the youngest son, returns home with an unexpected guest, tensions rise, and the family is forced to confront its past, its faith, and its future.

Spirited, sharp, and infused with biting humor, PURPOSE is more than just a play—it’s a conversation about power, sacrifice, and the complexities of familial duty in the face of political responsibility.

A Trailblazing Production

After its sold-out world premiere at Chicago’s legendary Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2024—where it became one of the highest-grossing productions in the company’s nearly 50-year history—PURPOSE now makes its highly anticipated move to Broadway. The Chicago run earned widespread acclaim, including three 2024 Equity Jeff Awards (Chicago’s equivalent to the Tony Awards) for:

• Outstanding Production of a Play
• Outstanding New Work (Branden Jacobs-Jenkins)
• Outstanding Director of a Play (Phylicia Rashad)

With a creative team that includes producers David Stone, Debra Martin Chase, Marc Platt, LaChanze, Rashad Chambers, Aaron Glick, Universal Theatrical Group, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company, PURPOSE is positioned to be one of the most talked-about plays of the season.

A Broadway Cast for the Ages

The Broadway production reunites several members of the acclaimed Steppenwolf cast, including:

• LaTanya Richardson Jackson (To Kill a Mockingbird, A Raisin in the Sun)
• Harry Lennix (The Blacklist, Radio Golf)
• Jon Michael Hill (Pass Over, Superior Donuts)
• Glenn Davis (Downstate, King James)
• Alana Arenas (The Bluest Eye, David Makes Man)
• Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Clyde’s, The Cost of Living)

With a cast this formidable, PURPOSE promises to deliver a theatrical experience that is urgent, deeply personal, and profoundly moving.

How to See PURPOSE

Broadway audiences can access $45 rush tickets through TodayTix, with a limited number available each morning at 9 a.m. via the app. A limited number of in-person rush tickets are also available at the Helen Hayes Theater box office each day when it opens (10 a.m. Tuesday–Saturday, 12 p.m. Sunday). Rush tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and may be partial view.

For more information and updates, visit: purposeonbroadway.com

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