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‘Purpose’ Review: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Latest Family Drama Is a Brilliant Examination of Legacy, Ambition and Shattered Expectations


The new play directed by Phylicia Rashad follows the influential Jasper family, whose long-held secrets are laid bare during a faithful weekend.

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. Naz is happy to see his older brother, Junior (Glenn Davis), a disgraced former State Senator, recently released after serving a two-year prison sentence for embezzling funds. Delighted to meet Naz’s lady friend, Claudine, who rules the home with a hospitable sort of domination and her rarely-used law degree, insists Aziza stay overnight.

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