CITY COLLEGE–Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose new Broadway play, which opened in March at the Helen Hayes Theater, begins with a fast-paced, engaging exploration of family dynamics. Its sharp wit and deep humor initially makes the play feel like a brilliant sitcom. But as the story unfolds, it shifts gears, revealing a more complex exploration of complicated relationships, hypocrisy, and legacy. Beneath the laughter, Purpose highlights another big issue. The playwright, the director Felicia Rashad and the actors are all Black and that is rare on Broadway. The theater world has pushed for more diversity. But many question whether this is a surface level effort at inclusion.
Actor Shawn G. Elliot acknowledges the impact of increased representation but believes it doesn’t go far enough. “The push for diversity in theater has definitely opened up more opportunities for underrepresented actors,” Elliot said. “But real change takes more than just casting. If there aren’t diverse voices behind the scenes, like in writing, directing, or leadership, it can start to feel a bit performative.” This lack of representation behind the curtain affects not just who gets cast, but whose stories get told and who has the power to tell them. Iconic plays like Porgy and Bess, Spinning into Butter and White Savior about people of color, for example, have been written by white playwrights.
Actor and playwright Jociel Tambone sees this as a missed opportunity to allow communities to tell their own stories. “Some of the most well-known shows featuring people of color weren’t even written by us,” he points out. “If we actually open up the conversation and make theater more accessible, we’ll bring in more people of color not just as actors, but as creators shaping the industry.”
