Purpose - Play

Purpose - Play at OneAmerica Mainstage - Indiana Repertory Theater

In Purpose, the most uncomfortable conversations happen with the people who know you best. Behind closed doors, it's another story. Purpose drops you into a celebration with the Jasper family, whose public influence in civil rights, church and politics shapes how the world sees them. Then the party begins, and the polished image starts to feel fragile. If you've ever noticed the gap between how a family appears and how it really lives, this play will hit close to home.

Then comes the knock. An uninvited guest sets off the exposure of family secrets, and a night meant for honoring legacy turns into a reckoning. That's the pull of live theatre: you sit in the room while loyalty, responsibility and truth collide, and you feel the tension in real time. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins wrote the work, which won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. Those honors belong to the play itself, and they make this a chance to see a celebrated contemporary script on a stage in Indianapolis.

On February 13, 2027, at 4:00 PM, the Indiana Repertory Theater presents Purpose at the OneAmerica Mainstage, in a co-production with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Tyrone Phillips directs the local production. Don't just read about the play everyone is discussing. Reserve your seats for Purpose in Indianapolis and be in the room when the secrets surface.