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Purpose on Broadway - NYC [38461]

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Purpose on Broadway

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Production Photo of Purpose in New York, with Harry Lennix.

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Production Photo of Purpose in New York, with Latanya Richardson Jackson.

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Production Photo of Purpose in New York, with Jon Michael Hill.

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Production Photo of Purpose in New York, with Kara Young.

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Production Photo of Purpose in New York, with Glenn Davis.

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Kara Young stars as Aziza Houston in *Purpose* on Broadway at the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/hayes-theater) from February 25, 2025.

Young's Broadway credits include *Table 17* at [MCC Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/venues/mcc-theater), *Clyde's* in 2021, *Cost of Living* in 2022, and *Purlie Victorious* in 2023. She earned Tony Award nominations for her performances in all three shows, winning for *Purlie Victorious* in 2024.

Her Off-Broadway credits include Classical Theatre of Harlem's production of Shakespeare's *Twelfth Night* and *Syncing Ink* at the [Apollo Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/venues/apollo-theater).

Kara Young - NY

Syncing Ink - NYC [40868]

Syncing Ink

The Apollo Theater, located in the heart of Harlem, New York, is an iconic venue that has highlighted the talent of many legendary artists since its opening in 1914. Originally known as Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater, it was later renamed the Apollo in 1934 when the venue decided to eliminate its whites-only policy and embrace African-American performers and patrons. Over the decades, the Apollo Theater has seen performances from artists like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and The Jackson 5. Its unique 'Amateur Night' was a launchpad for careers of many world-renowned artists. In 1983, the building was declared as a city landmark; years later, in 2016, it was declared as a state and national landmark.

**How To Get To the Venue**

The Apollo Theater is located at 253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027. It's easily accessible via public transportation. The 2 and 3 trains stop at 125th street, only a stone's throw from the venue. Additionally, several buses such as M7, M60, M100, M101 and BX15 stop nearby. If you prefer to drive, there are parking garages available within walking distance.

Apollo Theater - NYC

Apollo Theater

The Apollo Theater, a city, state, and national landmark in Harlem, New York, has been a platform for legendary artists since 1914. It's accessible via public transportation and parking garages.

12+ is recommended. Children under 4 years old will not be admitted.

Purlie Victorious on Broadway - NYC [27642]

Purlie Victorious on Broadway

Purlie Victorious on Broadway - NYC Product Media

Flat-out hilarious and stacked with topflight performances led by [Leslie Odom, Jr.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/leslie-odom-jr-theatre-roles-we-love) and Kara Young, [*Purlie Victorious*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27642-purlie-victorious-tickets) is also a triumph when it comes to timing. Suffice it to say the play speaks directly to today’s racial tumult.

Considering Ossie Davis’s satirical melodrama premiered on Broadway in 1961, that says something about the stubbornly enduring bigotry and prejudice this broad satire has squarely in its crosshairs. Without saying the actual contemporary phrase, Davis, a writer, actor, director, and civil rights activist, declared to audiences 62 years ago in this work that Black lives matter.

Subtitled *A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch*, the play unfolds in the late 1950s. Self-made traveling minister Purlie Victorious Judson (Odom) returns to segregated small-town Georgia with a plan to buy and rehab the broken-down local church, Big Bethel, and “preach freedom in the cotton patch.” But first, he must trick Ol Cap’n Cotchipee (Jay O. Sanders) – a whip-lashing Jim Crow tyrant who believes in “all that is white and holy” – into handing over $500 that was bequeathed to Purlie’s family. 

Key to Purlie’s plan is his besotted follower from Alabama, Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins (Young). She pretends to be his Cousin Bee, who’s in line for the inheritance. Reluctantly drawn into the ruse is Purlie’s brother, Gitlow (Billy Eugene Jones), whose adherence to the old plantation ways leads Cotchipee to cheer him as a “solid, hard-earned Uncle Tom.” Purlie’s sister-in-law Missy (an ace Heather Alicia Simms), who shares the dream of breathing life back into Big Bethel, lends her own source of support. 

Lutiebelle is game for anything to help, but she’s unprepared to pull off the high-stakes impersonation, so the Bee sting eventually – and riotously – goes pear-shaped at the plantation.

But Purlie persists. He finds an ally in Cotchipee’s liberal-minded son Charlie (Noah Robbins), who supports court decisions to void segregation. After his mother died in childbirth, Charlie was raised by Idella (Vanessa Bell Calloway), and he believes in the rights of African Americans. That comes in handy.

Zipping along in a fleet-footed 100 streaming minutes, the staging by Kenny Leon (*Topdog/Underdog, Ohio State Murders*) boasts terrific work across the board. Before the show begins, a rack of clothes on the otherwise bare stage is visible. In a rush, the actors slip into costumes by Emilio Sosa, as if to announce they’ll be playing parts. 

Derek McLane’s deceptively rustic-looking set nimbly moves the action from the Judson home to Cap’n Cotchipee’s place and back and, finally, undergoes a holy-mackerel, amen-worthy transformation. 

Odom, a Tony winner for [*Hamilton*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/384-hamilton-tickets), is a blast to watch – and hear – as he dives deep to deliver what Davis is preaching. Following back-to-back Tony-nominated performances in the dramas *Cost of Living* and *Clyde’s*, Young shows off delightful comic chops and proves again that she makes every project burn brighter.

In a play filled with barbed grenades, one standout seems so simple, but it’s so complex. “Life is so good to us – sometimes,” says Lutiebelle. “Oh, child,” says Missy, “being colored can be a lotta fun when ain’t nobody looking.” Sixty-two years later, the line still zings and, sadly, stings. 

[*Purlie Victorious* is at the Music Box Theatre through January 7. Get *Purlie Victorious* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27642-purlie-victorious-tickets)

*Photo credit: Leslie Odom, Jr. and Kara Young in Purlie Victorious. (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)*

'Purlie Victorious' review — hilarious satire still zings after 60 years

Read our five-star review of *Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch*, starring Leslie Odom, Jr., playing at the Music Box Theatre.

The **Music Box Theatre** is a beautifully arranged Broadway venue, poised for epic performances at the heart of New York City. Built in 1921 by playwright, producer, and composer Irving Berlin, the theatre possesses a fascinating history with a capacity of 1,022 seats. Decorated intrically with an azure blue ceiling painted with stars, the theatre's ambiance is known for its grace and elegance. The theatre is home to multiple Tony Award-winning shows. Current and past productions impress with their artistic directions, stunning sets, and outstanding performances. Whether it's an enchanting musical or a dramatic play, each exquisite performance magnetizes audiences from all over the world.

 _**How To Get to The Venue**_

The Music Box Theatre is conveniently located at 239 West 45th Street. By Subway, you can take N, Q, R, or W to 49th Street and walk down, A, C, or E to 42nd Street and walk up, or 1, 2, or 3 to Times Square 42nd Street. Multiple bus routes also stop nearby. If driving, there numerous parking garages in and around Times Square. It's a bustling area, so allow extra time for traffic.

Music Box Theatre - NY

Music Box Theatre

The Music Box Theatre, a historic Broadway venue in NYC, is known for its artistic productions and elegant ambiance.

MTC Friedman

Cost of Living on Broadway - NYC 

Cost of Living on Broadway

Cost of Living on Broadway - NYC  Product Media

Martyna Majok’s [*Cost of Living*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25892-cost-of-living-tickets) follows shifting relationships between two disabled adults and their caregivers. The play arrives on Broadway four years after being awarded a Pulitzer Prize, an honor that is both a badge (bragging rights to an exclusive club) and baggage (escalated expectations). That’s the cost of winning.

Over 110 unbroken minutes this lean, perceptive, and beautifully acted drama explores several provocative themes including connection and isolation as well as privilege and class. The main focus is people in need — and not just the two individuals who use wheelchairs, but the able-bodied attendants as well. All four face challenges and hurdles of every stripe. That’s the point — that’s the cost of living.

The action unspools over nine scenes, and Wilson Chin’s spare, revolving set provides a smooth and seamless showcase in this Manhattan Theatre Club production. The play starts in a bar a week before Christmas. “That’s gonna be hard,” Eddie (David Zayas), an out-of-work long-haul truck driver, tells an unseen character in a lengthy — a bit too windy, actually — monologue. Holiday cheer isn’t in Eddie’s wheelhouse. He’s alone, suffering, untethered. 

The plot rewinds to September and the sleek New Jersey apartment where John (Gregg Mozgala), a Princeton grad student, lives. He’s got a Harvard degree and wealth. He wraps himself up in the comfort they afford just like he does in his plush cashmere sweaters. John has cerebral palsy and requires help for daily hygiene tasks. 

Jess (Kara Young), meets with John to apply to be his caretaker. She’s working-class with a sick immigrant mother and a Princeton degree that’s led nowhere careerwise for her. She slings drinks in bars. John says her job would be “to wash me. My hair. Teeth… You’d keep me handsome.” She gets the gig. She’s desperate for money for reasons that emerge.

The story transitions to the rundown home of Ani (Katy Sullivan), Eddie’s estranged wife. A catastrophic accident shattered her spinal cord and left her a quadriplegic above-the-knee amputee. She’s bitter, and rightly so, with a salty tongue and no time for self-pity. Despite having a girlfriend, Eddie insists on caring for Ani. He’s motivated by financial and emotional reasons. 

As the months move forward, each pair grows closer. In back-to-back scenes, Jess washes John as he strips, and she helps him into his shower. It’s an intimate arrangement, but it plays out with a sense of equal mutual respect — or so it seems. At Ani’s place, Eddie bathes his ex. He talks about playing the piano as a kid. “Twenty-almost-one years,” she says. “You never told me that.” In a moment of acute tenderness that reveals Majok’s sensitive and creative mind, Eddie plays Ani’s arm like a keyboard. Moments later, things take a harrowing turn that jolts them — and the audience — back to reality.

It’s easy to root for these couples — not necessarily in a romantic sense but simply in terms of human connection. Guided by director Jo Bonney, the actors don’t strike a false note — even when the script gets spotty. Although the fate of Eddie and Ani’s relationship is all too believable, that’s less the case for John and Jess. While John’s lack of generosity is obvious, Jess getting sucker-punched by misreading her boss undercuts her character’s keen intelligence. 

How the couples’ story strands finally twine together requires a leap of faith. In the end, convenient plot turns can’t undo the play’s bracing originality. Majok wisely doesn’t sugarcoat realities in sentimentality, but she also leaves the door ajar for an optimistic glimmer. That feels right. After all, what’s the cost of hope?

[*Cost of Living* is at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre until October 30. Get *Cost of Living* tickets at New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25892-cost-of-living-tickets)

*Photo credit: David Zayas and Katy Sullivan in Cost of Living. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)*

'Cost of Living' review — a beautifully acted drama about connection and class

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is a historic Broadway theatre located in New York City. Established in 1925, the theatre is managed by Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), a leading professional theatre producer. Originally named the Biltmore Theatre, it was renamed Samuel J. Friedman in 2008 to honor the late American publicist. The theatre seats over 650 people and is renowned for its excellent acoustics and state-of-the-art light and sound systems. It has also been the host to several notable productions and has welcomed some of the finest actors and actresses in the industry.

**How to Get There**

In the heart of the city, the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is easily accessible through multiple modes of transportation. If commuting by subway, take the 1, 2, 3, 7, S, A, C, E, N, R, Q, W, Fourth Street lines to 42nd Street. From the station, it's just a short walk to the theatre. For those driving, numerous parking garages are available nearby. The theatre is also well-served by numerous bus lines. However, due to the busy nature of the city, public transport is a recommended choice.

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre - Manhattan Theatre Club - NY

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, a historic Broadway theatre managed by Manhattan Theatre Club, accommodates over 650, with excellent acoustics and light systems.

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Clyde's on Broadway - NYC

Clyde's on Broadway

Clyde's on Broadway - NYC Product Media

Food for thought is on the menu, along with lots of laughs and a few tears in Lynn Nottage's <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/clydes" target="_blank">Clyde's</a>, a richly entertaining and timely play set in a truck stop sandwich shop along a nowhere stretch of Berks County, Pennsylvania. It's roughly the same GPS of the author's Sweat, which focused on grim aftershocks of a factory lockout and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017. Eight years earlier, she won the same award for Ruined, about women in the Congo scarred by war.Clyde's, commissioned by the Guthrie Theater where it premiered in 2019, is a lighter slice of life than those weightier works, but it still has the power to stay with you. The program&nbsp;for the <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/hayes-theater" target="_blank">Second Stage Theater</a> production describes the roadside restaurant as a liminal space — in other words, an in-between locale. It's a fitting place for folks to seek second chances. It also provides wiggle room, perhaps, to merge reality with metaphor.&nbsp;It's where four ex-cons struggle to put their criminal pasts behind them as they work together as line cooks in the sandwich dive. One wrong move can land them back in the joint. World-battered single mom Letitia (Kara Young) did time because she robbed a pharmacy to help her special-needs daughter. Sweet-natured Rafael (Reza Salazar) held up a bank armed with a BB gun. Jason (Edmund Donovan, deeply affecting), a loner with a face covered in racist tattoos inked in prison, unleashed his violence and fury&nbsp;on a man with a baseball bat. His story summons a pivotal moment from Sweat.&nbsp;Montrellous (a quietly magnetic <a href="/actor-profile/ron-cephas-jones">Ron Cephas Jones</a>), who&nbsp;reveals he went to prison as an act of brotherly love, is the foursome's senior member. He's a kitchen philosopher who urges co-workers to step outside limitations and to devise the perfect sandwich. You can't turn back time. You can't undo a crime. You can aspire and escape drudgery through creativity. As characters share visions of dream eats —&nbsp;a tuna melt with chopped lemongrass on toasted black rye; a Cubano sandwich with jalapeno aioli and sweet onions; a grilled halloumi masterpiece —&nbsp;your mouth may water.&nbsp;Clyde (<a href="/actor-profile/uzo-aduba">Uzo Aduba</a>), the abusive and exploitative boss at the namesake joint, typically turns up her nose. "You're all losers, felons," she says. "Don't disappoint me by having aspirations... I'll make sure you go back to whatever hell you came from." One could argue that the script lays things on too thick at times — and this is one of them. On the other hand, Clyde may be intentionally drawn to be larger and more satanic than life and be a stand-in for society as a whole.&nbsp;Directed by Kate Whoriskey, the author's go-to collaborator, the production cooks on all burners. Orange Is the New Black Emmy winner Aduba slyly brings out Clyde's devilish streak. Young is thrilling as the take-no-b.s. Tish. The physical production is also deft thanks to Jennifer Moeller's character-defining costumes, Takeshi Kata's realistic working kitchen, and Christopher Akerlind's moody, shifting lighting.&nbsp;A final rebellious communal act of creativity turns out to be liberating for the kitchen crew. You can take the ending literally or poetically —&nbsp;either way it works, and it satisfies. Chalk that up to Nottage's theatrical 'wichcraft.&nbsp;<div><a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/clydes" target="_blank">Clyde's is at the Hayes Theater to January 16. Get Clyde's tickets on New York Theatre Guide.</a></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Photo credit: Clyde's (Photo by Joan Marcus)</div>

'Clyde's' review — Uzo Aduba is devilishly good in Lynn Nottage's dark comedy

The Hayes Theater, established in 1912 and located in the heart of New York City, is a notable venue for Broadway productions. Known formerly as the Little Theatre, the Helen Hayes Theatre was renamed in 1983 in honor of the acclaimed actress. Since its renovation in 2017, the Hayes has become one of the most technologically advanced, intimate Broadway houses. Its seating capacity of 597 hasn't affected the quality and charm of performances held there. Known for presenting some of the most innovative works of contemporary playwrights, it continues to attract theatre buffs from around the world. 

 ## How to Get There 

The Hayes Theater is situated at 240 West 44th Street, between 7th and 8th avenue. For those taking the subway, the Times Square-42nd Street station served by N, Q, R, S, W, 1, 2, 3, and 7 trains is the closest stop. If you prefer a taxi or a ride-sharing service, simply set your destination to the theater's address. There are also numerous parking facilities within a few blocks where you can leave your car if you're driving.

Hayes Theater - Second Stage Theater - NY

Hayes Theater

Hayes Theater, an intimate Broadway venue in NYC, presents innovative contemporary plays. It's accessible via subway, taxi, and has nearby parking facilities.

Table 17 - NYC [41015]

Table 17

Table 17 - NYC [41015] 

The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space is an iconic fine arts venue located at 511 W 52nd St, New York. Famed for its commitment to thought-provoking, innovative, and deeply collaborative new work, it is the perfect venue for theater-goers who are consistently keen on exposure to an array of genres and styles. The space features two stages: the 100-seat Newman Mills Theater and the 243-seat Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater, providing opportunities for intimate performances as well as larger-scale productions.

**How to Get to The Venue**

To reach the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space, it's just a short walk west from the 50th Street Subway Station, which is served by the C and E lines. Alternatively, it's a few minutes north from the 49th Street Station, served by the N, R, and W lines. Those preferring to drive will find a handful of paid parking garages in the area, such as the MPG Parking and Imperial Parking Systems. Do check parking rates ahead of your visit.

The Newman Mills Theatre at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theatre Space - NYC

The Newman Mills Theatre at the Robert W. Wilson MCC Theatre Space

The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space is a premier New York venue famed for innovative performances, accessible by subway or car.

Kara Young (2)

LaTanya Richardson Jackson stars as Claudine Jasper in *Purpose* on Broadway at the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/hayes-theater) from February 25, 2025.

Jackson's Broadway acting credits include *Joe Turner's Come and Gone*, *A Raisin in the Sun*, and *To Kill a Mockingbird*. In 2022, she made her Broadway directing debut with August Wilson's *The Piano Lesson*, starring her husband, Samuel L. Jackson.

Her film credits include *Fried Green Tomatoes, Malcolm X, Sleepless in Seattle, When a Man Loves a Woman*, and *The Fighting Temptations*.

LaTanya Richardson Jackson - NY

To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway [10991]

To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway

To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway [10991] Product Media

A regrettably sour note has hung over this new Broadway adaptation of <a href="/show/to-kill-a-mockingbird">To Kill a Mockingbird</a>&nbsp;at the <a href="/theatres/shubert-theatre">Shubert Theatre</a>, when the theatrical rights for an adaptation of Harper Lee's historic novel were assigned to it by Lee and subsequently her estate (who then challenged the version produced by playwright and television writer Aaron Sorkin that led to litigation that was settled in court).But the producer Scott Rudin in turn threatened other planned productions of a previous long-established version with litigation to stop them. These included a UK national tour based on its last London production at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park in 2013 that had been announced months earlier, and was summarily cancelled on the eve of its opening; and American regional stock and amateur productions that were similarly affected (but offered the rights by Rudin to re-rehearse and present his new version).Of course a producer wants to both protect and maximise his own investment in a property he's acquired, but it all got very messy as the other companies had all secured the rights in the previous version in good faith, and were innocent parties to a dispute between a David-and-Goliath battle of now rival versions.Given that the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel it is based on is about ensuring justice is done, there was a certain dramatic irony in the perceived injustices that resulted (heartbroken child actors were reported to have written to Rudin when the production they'd rehearsed was cancelled).Lee's Pulitzer prize-winning story revolves around an intensely moral lawyer Atticus Finch who takes on the defence of a black man falsely accused of raping a young white woman in rural 1930s racially divided Alabama. Sorkin -- who famously scripted "The West Wing" -- is certainly good at illuminating the behind-the-scenes machinations of the legal process here, both official and unofficial, including a quiet home visit from the presiding judge and a less quiet attempt by the woman's father to attack Finch (and also to take part in an attempted lynching of his client).Sorkin and his director Bartlett Sher stage it primarily as a scorching courtroom drama, folding it seamlessly with scenes from Finch's home life as his two worlds collide.Given the rise of white nationalism in Trump's America, a lot of this feels very current. But it also makes for gripping, seriously absorbing theatre. A top-flight Broadway cast, led by the grave but sympathetic <a href="/actor-profile/jeff-daniels">Jeff Daniels</a> as Atticus Finch, also features solid support from <a href="/actor-profile/celia-keenan-bolger">Celia Keenan-Bolger</a> and Will Pullen as his children, Gideon Glick as their best friend Dill, LaTanya Richardson Jackson as housemaid and confidant Calpurnia, Gbenga Akinnagbe as the defendant Tom Robertson and Frederick Weller as the victim's father.Two live musicians, seated on either side of designer Miriam Buether's atmospherically detailed stage, play Adam Guettel's alternately folksy and ominous score, to underscore and frame the action.Now carrying an advance ticket sale of over $20million, To Kill a Mockingbird is slaying Broadway -- and looks like it could be around for a long stay, not the usual 12-16 weeks that most plays get.(Photo by&nbsp;Julieta Cervantes)

Review of To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Jeff Daniels, on Broadway

The Shubert Theatre is a historic Broadway venue located in New York City's theater district. Originally opening its doors in 1913, it has solidly anchored its place in history, hosting major productions like A Chorus Line and Hello, Dolly! With a seating capacity of 1460, this gem of a theatre is designed in the style of the Italian Renaissance, featuring a blue-domed ceiling adorned with a galaxy of twinkling stars. The Shubert Theatre's architecture sets a magical environment for hosting ground-breaking musicals and dramatic performances. It maintains an intimate atmosphere despite its ample size, allowing every patron an immersive experience. 

## How to get to Shubert Theatre
Located at 225 West 44th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue, the theatre is easily accessible. If commuting by subway, you can take the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S or shuttle to Times Square station, or the A, C, or E to Port Authority. Additionally, the M104, M42, M6, M7, and M10 buses stop near the Shubert Theatre. It's recommended to plan for potential delays as the area can get crowded during showtimes.

Shubert Theatre - NY

Shubert Theatre

The Shubert Theatre, a historic Broadway venue, features groundbreaking performances. It is easily accessible via Times Square and Port Authority subway stations.

latanya 200

Jon Michael Hill stars in [*Purpose*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38461-purpose) on Broadway at the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/venues/hayes-theater). His Broadway debut was in *Superior Donuts*, and he joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007. His many credits at that theatre include *Purpose, Leroy and Lucy, True West,* and *Pass Over.*

Jon Michael Hill - NYC 

jon hill

Harry Lennix stars in [*Purpose*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38461-purpose) on Broadway at the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/venues/hayes-theater). He's been seen in *Radio Golf* on Broadway and in *Titus Andronicus* off Broadway. Lennix appeared in films including *The Matrix Reloaded,* *The Matrix Revolutions,* *Ray,* and *Man of Steel.* He starred in television series including *The Blacklist,* *Dollhouse,* and *Billions.* 

Harry Lennix - NYC 

harry

Glenn Davis stars in [*Purpose*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38461-purpose) on Broadway at the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/venues/hayes-theater). Davis is an actor, producer and artistic director of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, alongside Audrey Francis, where he has been an ensemble member since 2017. His Steppenwolf credits include *Downstate, The Christians, You Got Older, The Brother/Sister Plays, Head of Passes, King James,* and others. On Broadway, he's been in *Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo*, and off Broadway, he received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for *Downstate* at Playwrights Horizons. 

Glenn Davis - NYC 

Playwrights Horizons - Peter Jay Sharp Theater

Downstate - NYC

Downstate

Downstate - NYC Product Media

[*Downstate*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25213-downstate-tickets), the thoughtful and thorny drama by Bruce Norris, author of the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning Clybourne Park, is built on a plot structure as conventional as can be. 

A knock on the door and the arrival of an outsider turns the delicately, if not precariously, balanced world on the other side of the threshold upside down.

But who comes knocking and who’s inside the door is anything but run-of-the-mill in this skillfully acted [Playwrights Horizons](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/playwrights-horizons) presentation directed by Pam MacKinnon.

Fortysomething Andy (Tim Hopper) comes to a group home for convicted formerly incarcerated sex offenders in downstate Illinois. (Set designer Todd Rosenthal evokes the cheerless space in realistic rundown grimness.) He has traveled here to confront Fred (Francis Guinan), the piano teacher and pedophile now in his 70s who molested Andy and a younger boy three decades ago.

“I used to fantasize about how I would kill you… I’d jam the barrel of a gun down your throat,” says Andy, who’s seated with his wife, Em (Sally Murphy), in the living room of the residence. “Okay,” says soft-spoken Fred, who has used a wheelchair ever since someone who discovered his crimes beat and kicked him until his back was broken. 

Andy speaks haltingly as though it’s hard to breathe. Then high-strung Em steps on her husband’s agonizing efforts to answer a phone call from their son. Discussing a water park trip couldn’t wait?

More interruptions come as we meet the other three group home residents  – Dee (K. Todd Freeman), Gio (Glenn Davis), and Felix (Eddie Torres), who are all on the Illinois roster of sex offenders. Their offenses, like their degrees of remorse, vary.

Dee, a former dancer and the unofficial den mother of the residence, had sex with a 14-year-old boy in what he calls a two-year “relationship.” Shaky Felix abused his young daughter. Motormouth Gio refers to his offense as statutory rape.

All four offenders live on short leashes, wear ankle monitors, and have their movements closely checked, we learn through Ivy (Susanna Guzman), their prickly probation officer. A cardboard-covered window in the home was shattered by a shotgun blast. 

“A threat?” asks Andy. “I don’t think it was a gesture of good will,” says Dee, who has a righteous wisecrack teed up for every occasion. “We get rocks… Death threats. Lotta death threats.”

Between that loaded line and the presence of a baseball bat that doubles as a weapon, it’s only a matter of time before events go from tense to worse. 

Dark but streaked with spiky humor, *Downstate* is filled with confrontations. In a way, the play itself is a confrontation. Audiences are asked to consider individuals they would probably rather never think about. 

It’s a messy subject, and the play manages to raise various questions. Is closure possible? Is serving one’s sentence for a crime enough? How should offenders be treated? Norris is too smart a writer to be chasing after tidy answers and neat conclusions.

Through it all the fine-tuned actors — several of whom reprise roles from the 2018 world-premiere run at Steppenwolf Theatre Company — skillfully navigate the charged material. 

Not everything works, including a dramatic reveal that one sees coming a mile away. Despite the provocative topic, the play feels less of a button-pusher than a searching meditation on a fraught mine field.

[*Downstate* is at Playwrights Horizons through December 11. Get *Downstate* tickets on New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/25213-downstate-tickets)

*Photo credit: Francis Guinan, Glenn Davis, Susanna Guzmán, Eddie Torres, and K. Todd Freeman in Downstate. (Photo by Joan Marcus)*

'Downstate' review — a provocative yet thoughtful meditation on punishment

Playwrights Horizons is a renowned theater venue located in the vibrant theater district of New York City. It is a not-for-profit theater venue dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the exceptional production of their innovative work. Playwrights Horizons was established in 1971 and since then, it has presented the work of more than 400 writers and has received innumerous awards including a Pulitzer Prize. The theater boasts two performance spaces - the Main Stage and the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. This 42-year old venue is also known for its intimate setting, allowing audiences to be closer to the performances and experience the magic of theater up close.
## How to get to the venue
Playwrights Horizons is centrally located at 416 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues. It is easily accessible via public transport with several subway lines such as the A, C, E, N, Q, R, S, W, 1, 2, 3, and 7 lines stopping at Times Square 42nd Street. Numerous buses also service the area.

Playwrights Horizons - NY

Playwrights Horizons

Playwrights Horizons is a award-winning theater in New York, easily accessible via public transport, known for supporting talented American playwrights.

glenn

Alana Arenas stars in [*Purpose*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/38461-purpose) on Broadway at the [Hayes Theater](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/venues/hayes-theater). Arenas joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007 and created the role of Pecola Breedlove for the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of *The Bluest Eye,* which also played at the New Victory Theater Off-Broadway. *Purpose* marks her Broadway debut.

Alana Arenas - NYC 

alana

Stars on Stage

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Hayes Theater - TodayTix

The Hayes Theater officially opened as The Little Theatre on March 12, 1912. The building was designed by Harry Creighton Ingalls and built by Winthrop Ames, opening with John Galsworthy's play *The Pigeon*.

During the 1920s, the theatre was redesigned by Herbert J. Krapp to increase the capacity from 300 to 590. The New York Times purchased the building in 1931, converting it to a conference hall under the name of New York Times Hall.

In 1979, Martin Markinson and Donald Tick bought the theatre and renamed it in 1983 to the Helen Hayes Theatre to honor the actress. A previous theatre bearing her name was demolished in 1982 to make way for the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

On April 18, 2015, it was officially announced that Second Stage Theater had purchased the property. It was later revealed that the venue would be renamed the Hayes Theater, and it opened in spring 2018. The Hayes Theater is the smallest Broadway theatre, now with 597 seats.

## How to get to the Hayes Theater on Broadway

The Hayes Theater, located on 44th Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway, is closest to the 42nd Street - Port Authority subway stop on the A, C, and E lines. Additionally, the nearest bus stops are 8th Ave/W 46th St. on the M20 and M104 lines; 7th Ave/W. 44th St. on the M104 line; and 8th Ave/W 43rd St. on the M20, M104, and M34A-SBS lines.

Hayes Theater - New York Theatre Guide

The Hayes Theater, opened in 1912 and initially named The Little Theatre, has passed ownership several times, upgraded, and renamed. It's the smallest Broadway theatre.

Day of week	Matinee	Evening
Monday	-	-
Tuesday	-	7:00 PM
Wednesday	2:00 PM	8:00 PM
Thursday	-	7:00 PM
Friday	-	7:00 PM
Saturday	2:00 PM	8:00 PM
Sunday	3:00 PM	-

Purpose on Broadway Tickets

About Purpose on Broadway

Run time

Venue

Categories

Age

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End date

Stars on stage

Kara Young

LaTanya Richardson Jackson

Jon Michael Hill

Harry Lennix

Glenn Davis

Alana Arenas

Purpose on Broadway cast and creative team

Venue

Hayes Theater

Accessibility

Show schedule