Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose to Have World Premiere

Steppenwolf Theatre Company continues its 48th season with the world premiere of Purpose, an epic family drama by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Appropriate), directed by two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad. Purpose will run March 14-April 21 in Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater.

The cast features ensemble members Alana Arenas (The Brother/Sister Plays), Glenn Davis (King James), and Jon Michael Hill (Elementary, Pass Over) with Ayanna Bria Bakari (Last Night and the Night Before), Harry Lennix (The Blacklist), and Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: SVU).

Purpose revolves around the influential Jasper family that for decades has been a pillar of Black American politics: civil rights leaders, pastors, and congressmen. When the youngest son Nazareth returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend in tow, the family is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith, and the legacies of Black radicalism.

The creative team includes scenic designer Todd Rosenthal, costume designer Dede Ayite, lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker, sound designer Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen, associate director Tyrone Phillips, fight choreographer Matthew Hawkins, vocal coach Kate DeVore, dramaturg Jonathan L. Green, creative producer Patrick Zakem, and producing director Tom Pearl.