Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...The absolutely not-to-be-missed new Steppenwolf Theatre premiere from the white-hot Black playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, “Purpose,” is fictional. But the show, directed by Phylicia Rashad, is set in what looks like Chicago’s Jackson Park Highlands neighborhood at the moment when an iconic civil rights leader who marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., Solomon “Sonny” Jasper, played by Harry Lennix, and his enabling wife Claudine (Tamara Tunie) are celebrating their son’s “homecoming” from prison. That son, Solomon Jr. (Glenn Davis), has returned to Chicago with his furious wife, Morgan (Alena Arenas), who is on her way into prison for tax evasion, blaming her husband and his famous, brand-conscious family with every embittered breath. If that wasn’t enough to fire up the parallel, Sonny’s longtime slogan is not “Keep Hope Alive” but “Keep Hope Right Here.”"
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and a stellar cast, under the direction of Phylicia Rashad, deliver a doozy of such a dinner scene in his new play “Purpose,” now receiving its world premiere at Steppenwolf. It’s the centerpiece of a play about a Famous Black Family — in capital letters. Clearly inspired by Chicago’s Jackson family — as in Jesse and Jesse Jr. — the play is set at a transitional moment when the family must process a problematic recent past and consider the future."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"..."Purpose," Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' outstanding domestic drama premiering at Steppenwolf Theatre, rings familiar. Not only for the insight and wit characteristic of Jacobs-Jenkins' writing, but for its central characters: members of a prominent Black Chicago family with roots in religion, politics and the civil rights movement."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...In all, the Jaspers are an unforgettable bunch and Purpose is a welcome addition to the canon of turbulent family dramas."
Talkin Broadway - Recommended
"...Though the action and the ideas seem for a long time to meander around, it all ends in a satisfying place and Jacobs-Jenkins' intentions become clear. What should be the limits of loyalty to family vs commitment to outside relationships and adherence to simple standards of decency? This story of a powerful, controlling family is built around Black American characters, but its message is more universal than that. A similar story could be told about any powerful family of any race or ethnicity who is concerned with maintaining appearances. Or even about some families that are not nearly as powerful as the Jaspers. There's much here and with some tightening of the script and more kinetic direction than director Phylicia Rashad provides thus far, this could be another hit for the prolific Jacobs-Jenkins."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...This is the first time I've heard the name Branden Jacobs-Jenkins as a playwright; however, after witnessing the masterpiece performance of his play Purpose, I'm sure it won't be the last. Jenkins's brilliance is in his understanding of people and how they connect within relationships. He is an incredible playwright who has written memorable plays, winning the Obie Awards for Appropriate and An Octoroon. His plays, Gloria and Everybody, were finalists for the 2016 and 2018 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, and Jenkins's first play, "Neighbors," Part of "The Paris Review," dealt with the inflammatory and disturbing topic of black stereotypes through minstrel shows. Jenkins was looking to discuss the entire history of blackness in theater, which Frederick Douglass described as the filthy scum of white society."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...“Purpose” is truly an epic family drama and one of the finest shows ever presented on the Steppenwolf stage. The play is masterfully written by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by two-time Tony Award winner (and beloved alum of The Cosby Show) Phylicia Rashad. This is most certainly a dramedy which will have you laughing hysterically out loud at so many moments only to be followed by jaw-dropping and gripping drama at others."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Gifted playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has got to be pleased with Steppenwolf’s ebullient premiere production. Director Phylicia Rashad brings out the very best in her cast of six talented actors, and she always keeps the audience’s focus where it belongs. Her staging of the turbulent dining room scene that closes Act I is something that theatergoers will never forget. Like his previous plays, PURPOSE is destined for Broadway and beyond. It speaks to everyone’s intentions and guiding principles in life and what achieving these end goals and objectives can entail."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...“Purpose” is a cautionary tale. Imagine we are all worker bees in a giant hive called life. Each bee has a specific role within the hive, whether it's building comb, collecting nectar, or caring for the young. These roles contribute to the greater good of the hive's survival and success. Just like bees, we all have a unique purpose within the larger ecosystem of life. Our purpose may not always be readily apparent, but it's there and only we can live our purpose."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...Purpose, a new play written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by legendary actor Phylicia Rashad, follows in the theatrical legacy of plays like August Wilson’s Fences and The Piano Lesson, dealing with the complicated realities facing generations of Black families in America. However, as one character warns, audiences must not “confuse people for what they supposedly symbolize.” "
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...It is unmistakable that this play is an authentic comparison with the accomplished and colorful family of Jesse Jackson. Rashad helps us care deeply about the Jasper family, even in the middle of all the emotional chaos, with loving and gentle strokes. This production only enhances the Steppenwolf mystique as the American template for ensemble theatrical presentation."
MaraTapp.org - Highly Recommended
"...From the moment Jon Michael Hill opens his mouth in Purpose you know you are in for an evening of profound thought from a deeply intelligent and sensitive person with a deliciously ironic sense of humor. It turns out that you will also take a wild ride through the lives of his powerful political family that will keep you laughing even as you are amazed by the cruelty and wisdom of its members."
Life and Times - Highly Recommended
"...“Purpose” is directed by two-time Tony winner Phylicia Rashad. Rashad has deftly orchestrated a group of amazing actors so that each one gets their opportunity to shine individually, while jointly presenting a play that excels as both a comedy and a drama."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...Whether ripped from the headlines or not, this is a juicy set-up for the type of character-driven, scenery-chewing domestic drama Steppenwolf is rightly known for. If you enjoyed August: Osage County, grab some popcorn. You’re in for a wild ride."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...Brilliantly conceived and performed, what ultimately develops, of course, are the same stalemates that were incepted in the boys’ childhoods: a cry for help refuted by one is heard by another; the boys mother/lawyer chivvies for grandchildren but executes distancing legal contracts, dad seems to listen to guest and sons, but forever turns back to the callings of his own ego. Finally, in a post-modern denouement of feminist protection, we realize that Junior’s wife and second son’s friend- each in her own way- removes her children from the infectious family heritage into a contact free/inception free zone of privacy, the epitome of no more chances."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...Directed by Phylicia Rashad in a world premiere for Steppenwolf, this family drama keenly focuses on the privileged Jasper family, whose patriarch is a Civil Rights icon. The first act moves at a brilliant clip with lots of darkly funny moments during a contentious family drama, then unspools into a more serious and somber contemplation of the skeletons in the family’s closet in the second."
