Purpose

Purpose is largely a family dinner table conversation, except this family is famous, and a star-struck guest has joined for dinner. What could go wrong? While the play is very, very funny, it is not just a comedy. This play touches on numerous timely topics that are hot topics when around a multi-generational dinner table where outside appearances matter greatly to them. Never mind any hypocrisy. I will avoid further plot discussion in order to prevent spoilers.

Purpose is one of the all-time best plays I have ever seen. As of this writing, I am struggling to think of a play that I have loved that is better than Purpose. I will dig into the many reasons why in a moment.

There was significant buzz in the audience tonight, and this was not because LaTanya Richardson Jackson’s husband was in the house. Samuel L. Jackson, wearing the show’s “Famous Black” baseball cap, was trying to stay out of the spotlight, but the audience found him. While most of the theatre’s patrons respected his privacy and left him alone, a few fans decided they had to go talk to him. He was a good sport about it.

But tonight, he was LaTanya’s husband, not Samuel. This was her night. The buzz was indeed not about her husband but rather that this was her final performance in the show that won the Tony Award for “Best Play.” LaTonya was nominated for “Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play,” and it showed. She is just fantastic and is all the things you hope for in this Claudine character. I will be thinking about her performance for a while.

When I put this show on the calendar, I did not know it would be LaTonya’s last performance, and it was a treat to see her perform and to attend this special show with her final performance. She is clearly a core reason this show won “Best Play.”

Similarly, Kara Young as Aziza Houston provides one of the best performances you can experience on Broadway. Kara won the Tony Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Play.” Her character provides much of the comic relief, but she also contributes to many of the important social messages in this story.

One of the discussion points after this show was just how outstanding the entire cast is. They work so well together. If there is a standout, it is all of them together as one ensemble. Both Jon Michael Hill and Harry Lennix also received Tony Award nominations for “Best Leading Actor in a Play,” and Glenn Davis received a Tony Award nomination for “Best Featured Actor in a Play.” Alana Arenas also provided an incredible performance; however, I could not see much of her performance from the set’s dining room table, as the blocking caused another actor to fully block my view of her. I had to rely just on my ears, so I missed out on her facial expressions and physical acting. This is a challenge when the director decides to have characters fully around a table. I am not questioning the blocking but rather just expressing my disappointment that the director’s blocking prevented me from being able to see Alana’s performance during important moments. I imagine much of the orchestra section could not see her. For non-theatre folks, the term blocking refers to an actor’s specific location and stage movements, as defined by the playwright and interpreted by the director.

Speaking of the blocking and of the dining room table, I very much liked the set, and the upstage window with the snowfall was especially thoughtful. It was fun to watch the snowfall change in intensity throughout the show. For non-theatre readers, the term upstage refers to the back of the stage away from the audience, versus downstage, which is closest to the audience. The lighting was minimal but effective, and the sound was enjoyable, since it did not seem like microphones were in use. I do not always like a play having a narrator, but it seems to work well in this show. I liked how the lighting adjusted during moments of narration. The venue, The Hayes Theater, is gorgeous and one of the few Broadway venues that lets you in an hour before curtain to go to their lounge.

This show covers quite a few more social issues than I expected, and I will leave out the details, since I enjoyed being surprised. No spoilers. There is likely at least once issue for everyone that will hit you and cause you to tear up, but fear not, as there is significant comic relief. The show is very, very funny while also addressing numerous timely issues.

Some of us were talking after the show about how a comedy with no social messages can be a lost opportunity, while a story with social issues but no comedy can be difficult. There is nothing wrong with a pure comedy, as it is important to also just have comic escape, but it is special to be treated to a show like this one where you get both. This show is just the right balance of addressing numerous social issues while also having more comedy than you expect.

I especially appreciated the story touching on neurodiversity and including neurodivergent characters. There were some absolutely beautiful monologues on this topic in Act 2.

To prevent spoilers, I will not describe one of my favorite moments of the show, but it is a moment of brilliant timing of comedy and drama happening at the same time, and the audience reaction was priceless. I do not think I have ever had this experience with an audience before, and it was timed perfectly. There is much brilliance in the writing, directing, and acting in this production.

While you can no longer see LaTanya Richardson Jackson perform in this show, the performances of Jon Michael Hill, Glenn Davis, Harry Lennix, Kara Young, and Alana Arenas are not to be missed. I will be excited to see each of them in future shows, and I encourage you to see this production while they are in the cast.

This show is sadly closing on August 31, 2025, so do prioritize seeing this show.

See more show reviews from 2025.