REVIEW: The Ensemble Theatre’s Purpose Is a Funny, Fierce, and Deeply Human Family Affair

What occurs when your family name has more importance than you do?

This question sits at the center of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play Purpose, currently being performed at The Ensemble Theatre, and the answer is messy, hilarious, uncomfortable, and profoundly human. Because of the direction by Eileen J. Morris and a highly committed six-member cast, Purpose turns into more than just a play concerning one particular family; it makes a sharp study of legacy, identity, politics, faith, family expectations and the at times painful journey of working out who you are when all the other people have already told you who you should be.

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There's certainly a good deal to laugh about on the way.

Jacobs-Jenkins has the ability to discover humour in awkward situations, and the play is full of sharp one-liners, clumsy meetings, family arguments, and extremely detailed observations which cause the audience to laugh since they can see their own lives reflected in the disorder. However, the laughter is not there just for the sake of amusement. Hidden behind almost each joke is a hurt, a secret, or a long-buried resentment that is waiting for the chance to come to the surface.

The play focuses on the Jasper family, an important Black political family whose public image is much more refined than their private lives. Upon Nazareth Jasper's return home with an unexpected visitor, the carefully kept family balance starts to break down. What then takes place is a mixture of family reunion, ideological conflict, and emotional destruction.

Morris maintains an interesting speed in the production, enabling the comedy to come across without giving up on the more serious aspects. There is a wonderful sense of rhythm in the production, especially when the Jaspers adopt the usual patterns of people who have been arguing with each other for their whole lives. You can almost sense the history that exists between these characters.

The true strength of this production, nevertheless, lies in the cast's work.

The authority figure Jason E. Carmichael brings great credibility to Solomon Jasper, the family's patriarch. He knows Solomon's influence lies not merely in what he says, but in how people react when he walks into a room. Although the performance has great charisma, it also shows growing vulnerability. Because much of his life has been devoted to building his legacy, Carmichael lets us see what happens when that legacy no longer feels secure.

Rachel Hemphill Dickson is just as impressive as Claudine Jasper; she displays a remarkable blend of warmth, wit, and quiet calculation. Because Claudine knows her family well, Dickson portrays her as someone who knows precisely when to push, when to pull back, and when to let the men present think they are in control. Through her performance, Claudine gains emotional depth, showing she is not just the family matriarch.

Larry S. White II endows Junior Jasper with a remarkably complex vulnerability. Junior is frustrating, funny, hurt, and desperate to show he fits into the family legacy. White never treats the character merely for the sake of humor; instead, he uncovers the hurt beneath Junior's boldness, which makes his difficulties feel terribly relatable. A sense of sadness gradually comes over you as a result of the performance.

The Morgan Jasper that Calina Anderson brings to the role offers a valuable new viewpoint on the family. Anderson shows Morgan to have a remarkable blend of strength and reserve. It's clear the character has spent many years coping with the expectations tied to the Jasper name, and Anderson lets viewers see the fatigue beneath that outer demeanor. Her performance is especially convincing when Morgan's self-control starts to break down.

Ashlyn Evans is absolutely delightful as Aziza. Having joined the Jasper family in its intricate situation, she brings a refreshing energy to the production. Although Aziza's curiosity and sense of humor create some of the evening's most enjoyable moments, Evans never lets her remain just a source of comedy. Intelligence and real emotional vulnerability lie beneath the humor, which is why Aziza becomes a significant element in the family's breakdown.

Nazareth Jasper, by Kory LaQuess Pullam, is also the production's secret asset.

Pullam is fantastic.

Perhaps Nazareth's role in the play is the most demanding. In addition to dealing with the family drama surrounding him, he also guides the audience through it. He often breaks the fourth wall, talking directly to the audience and making comments about his family that the other characters either can't or won't make.

Pullam ensures that each of those moments is valued.

There is almost a Shakespearean about his performance, particularly in the way Nazareth notes the contradictions within his family while still being trapped among them. It is difficult to avoid comparing him to Hamlet. Similar to the Shakespearean prince, Nazareth acts as both a member of and a watcher of a family whose public image masks a far more complex truth. He watches, he questions, he analyses, and he strives to understand a world which is ever more unwilling to make sense.

Pullam’s Nazareth is not an imitation of Hamlet; instead, he offers his own modern interpretation of the character. Nazareth has a pleasing kind of awkwardness and sincerity, and Pullam shows intelligence in his portrayal without it feeling forced. The close link Nazareth maintains with the audience creates a sense of intimacy that makes us feel as if he is confiding in us secrets the rest of his family would prefer to keep hidden.

It is a brilliant performance because Pullam realizes that Nazareth's main conflict is not just with his family; it is with the idea of who he is meant to become.

That question gives Purpose its emotional impact.

All members of the Jasper family are, in some way, grappling with the issue of legacy. What is it to inherit a name? What duties are attached to such an inheritance? And what takes place when the kind of life you would like for yourself doesn't fit properly into the tale your family has already told?

It seems rather appropriate that The Ensemble Theatre should be considering those questions as it marks the 50th anniversary of its season. Since the theatre was established on the principle of preserving and celebrating Black stories and artistic voices, it could not have asked for a more provocative play to open such a landmark season.

Although Purpose has a great deal to say about politics, religion, history, and generational expectations, its real strength is that these people feel familiar. Though the Jaspers are remarkable in public, their family arguments are by no means strange. They love one another, they annoy one another, they let each other down, they do manage to surprise each other from time to time, and yet, despite all this, they always return to the same table.

The greatest truth of Purpose is to be found there.

Legacy is what we inherit, but purpose is what we decide.