A hilarious and blistering family clash on Broadway
Share and Follow


Theater review

PURPOSE

Two hours and 50 minutes, with one intermission. At the Hayes Theater, 240 West 44th Street.

Plays about families coming home — and coming to blows — are a workhorse of American drama.

The dinner-table clashes are reliably entertaining, easy to connect to and, you’d think, totally wrung-out by now.

How can anybody freshen up something so old-hat? There are only so many ways to cook a Norman Rockwell turkey.

Recently, writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has amazed audiences by producing two outstanding plays. One of his creations, “Appropriate,” even won last year’s Tony Award for Best Play. Now, his latest play, “Purpose,” has made its debut at the Hayes Theater.

His latest firecracker is unstoppably fierce, funny — and ruthless.

Jacobs-Jenkins’ storytelling is both clever and sharp as he presents a narrative filled with bombshells. The play revolves around the Jaspers, a prominent black political family entangled in a web of controversies and scandals that unravel as fast as the blizzard raging outside their home.

If your family is anything like them, I’d recommend emancipation.

One of the main characters, Solomon (played by Harry Lennix), resembles Jesse Jackson with his salt-and-pepper hair. However, Solomon’s portrayal in the play involves more simmering frustration behind closed doors rather than delivering grand speeches from a podium.

This imposing patriarch is also a famous minister and was an activist alongside Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. 

Disgracing the Jasper name is his fresh-out-of-prison eldest son, Solomon Jr. (Glenn Davis), a state senator taken down for embezzling money.

Orange jumpsuits are all the rage. Junior’s wife Morgan (Alana Arenas) is herself about to head to clink for conspiring with him. 

And the youngest son Nazareth (Jon Michael Hill), a sensitive nature photographer, has returned for a visit with his New York friend Aziza (Kara Young), who doesn’t realize the storm she’s walking into.

Secrets are bared, stitches are violently ripped off, lives are turned upside down. You know the drill.

But because of Jacobs-Jenkins’ hyper-specific writing and unique take, the clan’s “blood is thicker than water” motivations and chilling Cosa Nostra antics provide plenty of sharp turns. Even when “Purpose” briefly sags in Act 2, we are still invested.  

Set-ups don’t come much juicier. How does a revered national figure behave when reporters and cameras are not around? What do his screwed-up kids really think of him? Imagine a birthday dinner where the  chat-chat — and tit for tat — has front-page repercussions.  

“Purpose,” directed by Phylicia Rashad, who knows her way around a fictional living room, is dreamily cast.

A dynamite LaTanya Richardson Jackson, as Solomon’s bubbly-then-bruising wife Claudine, shows who’s really the boss. Arenas is the image of a rising politician’s beleaguered spouse, donning indoor sunglasses she might’ve borrowed from Hillary or Huma. And jovial Davis makes us believe he could win an election on the force of his personality… and last name.

Lennix, just like Jesse Jackson, comes from a vanishing world where a deep, resonant voice can silence a room with a few words.

And what a star Kara Young is. Fresh off her Tony win for “Purlie Victorious,” the hilarious actress, playing a woman in awe of these nightly news celebrities, practically puppeteers the audience with comedy — until she breaks them.

Our guide to this messed-up manse is Naz. Sweetly and compassionately played by Hill, he’s the closest the Jaspers come to normal. And he makes hilarious asides about his wealthy convict relatives like he’s Ron Howard on “Arrested Development.”

One of Naz’s suggestions succinctly sums up this highlight of the Broadway season: “Buckle up.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Wallaby named Rex found safe after escaping from Lots of Love Farm in Williamstown, New Jersey

Rex the Escaped Wallaby Safely Returns Home: A Happy Ending at Lots of Love Farm in Williamstown, NJ

WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J. — Rex, the wandering wallaby from Williamstown, has been joyfully…
All the eclipses, supermoons, meteor showers and planets to spot in 2026

Celestial Events to Watch in 2026: Eclipses, Supermoons, Meteor Showers, and Planetary Alignments

In 2026, the night sky promises to be a spectacle for astronomy…
Kelsey Grammer’s daughter Greer reveals 'meanest thing' he told her

Greer Grammer Shares Insight into Her Father’s Surprisingly Candid Remark

Kelsey Grammer’s daughter has spoken out about a particularly hurtful comment her…
Isiah Whitlock Jr., actor known for 'The Wire,' 'Veep' and Spike Lee films, dies at 71

Farewell to a Legend: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Isiah Whitlock Jr., Star of ‘The Wire,’ ‘Veep,’ and Spike Lee Classics

Renowned actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. has passed away, as confirmed by Liebman…
Russia says Ukraine peace talks 'proceeding constructively,' as Kremlin launches deadly strike on Odesa

Debunking the Kremlin: Why the Putin Residence Drone Attack Claims Don’t Hold Up

Russia’s accusations that Ukraine attempted to strike a residence used by President…
House price crash warning as No2 homebuilder forced into drastic act

Major Homebuilder Takes Drastic Measures Amid Looming Housing Market Decline

The U.S. housing market is showing signs of a potential downturn, with…
The surprising sign in your eyes that indicates if you'll get dementia

New Study Reveals Eye Indicator as Potential Early Sign of Dementia Risk

Memory loss is a well-known warning sign for the onset of dementia,…
Dead birds on Florida beaches have experts worried about avian flu

Concerns Rise Among Experts as Avian Flu Suspected in Florida Beach Bird Deaths

Concerns about a potential avian flu outbreak have arisen on Florida’s Space…