Senior Film and Media Reporter
Playwright Paula Vogel and Celia Keenan-Bolger on bringing MOTHER PLAY to the stage
“Purpose,” a new show from “Appropriate” playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, will open on Broadway in spring 2025.
Phylicia Rashad will direct the play, which begins previews on February 25, ahead of its premiere night in mid-March. It will run for a limited time at the Helen Hayes Theater.
Billed as an “epic family drama,” the story follows the influential Jaspers, who have been pillars of black American politics for decades — civil rights leaders, ministers and congressmen. But there are cracks and secrets just beneath the surface. When youngest son Nazareth returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend, the family is forced to reckon with themselves, their faith and the legacy of black radicalism. Casting will be announced in the coming months.
