Purpose - Play

Purpose - Play at OneAmerica Mainstage - Indiana Repertory Theater

The hardest truths in a family aren't always hidden. Sometimes they're the ones nobody wants to say out loud. Then the party starts, the wrong person walks in, and the polished surface cracks. That is the tension at the heart of Purpose, a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama that lands at the OneAmerica Mainstage in Indianapolis on February 6, 2027, at 1:00 PM. If you love stories where the stakes are personal and the secrets are loud, this is your kind of afternoon.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins wrote it, and the play took the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. Those honors belong to the work itself, but they tell you something useful: this is a story that has earned serious attention. It follows the Jasper family, whose public influence in civil rights, church and politics stands in sharp contrast to the private tensions simmering during a family celebration. Who do we show the world? Who are we at home? That question travels well beyond the stage.

Tyrone Phillips directs this Indiana Repertory Theatre production, presented as a co-production with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. When an uninvited guest sets off the exposure of family secrets, you will feel the room lean in together. Legacy, loyalty and responsibility are not abstract ideas here. They are choices, argued out loud, in front of you. Pick your seats for Purpose and secure your place at the Indianapolis performance today.