Purpose - Play

Purpose - Play at OneAmerica Mainstage - Indiana Repertory Theater

What happens when a proud family history collides with the secrets everyone would rather leave alone? Then the party starts, the doors open, and the polish begins to crack. That is the tension at the heart of Purpose, and on January 27, 2027, it arrives at the OneAmerica Mainstage at Indiana Repertory Theater in Indianapolis with a 6:30 PM start.

The play follows the Jasper family, whose public influence in civil rights, church and politics gives them a towering reputation. Behind that image, private tensions simmer during a family celebration. Then an uninvited guest shows up, and secrets that were never meant to see daylight start to spill. It is a story about the distance between the ideals people preach and the lives they actually live. You will likely recognize pieces of that struggle. Who are we when no one is watching, and what do we owe the people who share our name?

This is also a chance to see work that carries serious weight. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins wrote Purpose, which won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. Those honors belong to the play itself, but they signal why it is drawing attention. Legacy, loyalty and responsibility are the kind of subjects that follow you out of the theater and into the car ride home. Secure your seats for Purpose at IRT in Indianapolis and be in the room when the family's carefully kept story unravels.