OF THEATER GOERS HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE THE LATEST PRODUCTION ON STEPPENWOLF STAGE PURPOSE.

THE PLAY ABOUT A BLACK POLITICAL ILLINOIS FAMILY IS BRAND NEW.

SO KNOW THAT THE CAST DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A COMPLETE SCRIPT WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH THEM LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AGO.

BUT PLAYWRIGHT MACARTHUR GENIUS AND TWO-TIME PULITZER FINALIST BRANDON JACOBS.

JENKINS SAYS THAT'S HOW THE BEST PRODUCTIONS OR MAKE.

SAT DOWN WITH HIM DIRECTOR AND TWO-TIME TONY WINNER PHYLICIA RASHAD AND THE REST OF THE PURPOSE CAST TO FIND OUT MORE.

>> I THINK YOU ALL I WAS GOING TO LET HIM HAVE STEP EVEN A PK, YOU ALL EXCITEMENT, EXCITEMENT YES, THIS IS A NEW WORK AND THIS IS A NEW AS WHEN WE STARTED THIS PLAY, WE HAD 50 PAGES.

>> WE'VE BEEN BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE.

>> YES, YES, YES.

>> IT'S IT'S IT'S A VERY >> IS THAT TYPICAL LIKE WHEN, YOU BUT IT IS IT IS REALLY EXCITING.

YOU KNOW IT.

IT PUTS US ALL ON THE SAME JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, ALL THE ACTORS AND THE DIRECTOR AND EVEN THE PLAYWRIGHT BECAUSE HE'S STILL HE'S WRITING IT AS WE'RE REHEARSING IT.

YEAH, AND HE HAS IDEA IN HIS HEAD, BUT >> HE'S ONLY NOW PUTTING IT ON PAPER.

SO THE FIRST DAY REHEARSAL WHEN WE SHOWED UP, WE ONLY HAD ONE SCENE AND THEN BY THE END OF THE FIRST WEEK, WE HAD A SECOND SCENE AND THEN BY THE 3RD WEEK WE HAD A 3RD SCENE AND THEN YESTERDAY WE KIND OF OUTLINE OF THE 4TH SCENE SO THAT IT REALLY PUTS US ALL ON THE SAME LEVEL AND THE SAME PLAYING FIELD AS WE DO THIS ALL TOGETHER.

>> NO ONE IS PANIC THAT WE ARE ALL EXTREMELY THRILLED AND AND I WOULD SAY THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CASTLE IS THE DIRECTOR.

EVERYONE SAID YES, WHEN THERE WERE ONLY 50 PAGES.

SO THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING ABOUT.

HIM AS A WRITER IN THE CALIBER OF HIS WORK.

>> WE YOU 10 >> MISTER SHOT.

WHAT ABOUT THIS PROJECT IN THIS PRODUCTION ATTRACTED YOU TO IT?

WHEN I READ THIS DRAFT, WHICH THE FIRST ACT.

I SAID, OK?

DO THIS.

WASN'T FINISHED BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH ABOUT IT.

THAT WAS UNKNOWN.

YES.

BUT I LIKE THE WAY HE WRITES.

EITHER WAY HE INCORPORATES KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.

WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONVERSATION THAT AN ACTOR'S HAVING WITH THE AUDIENCE OF ACTORS, CHARACTERS, SHOULD SAY ARE ENGAGED.

YOU KNOW, I WAS INVITED BY DEER ACTING ON SOME MOST OF THIS COUNTRY TO MAKE A PLAY AND IT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS FOR ME TO COME IN HERE WITH A PRE BAIT.

>> EASY BREAK THE BANK.

THANK DINNER REOPENING THAT RE HEAT.

YOU KNOW FOR ME, THE OPPORTUNITY HERE IS TO COLLABORATE WITH SOME EXTRAORDINARY TALENTED ARTISTS AND I'M DEFINITELY OF THE SCHOOL THAT LIKE THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT THEATER HAS BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME.

RIGHT?

EVERYDAY PLAYWRIGHT WAS SORT OF TIED TO AN ACTING ENSEMBLE, RIGHT.

SHAKESPEARE HAD HIS WITH A CORD BLOOD, CHAMBERLAIN'S MEN.

YOU KNOW, THE GREEKS WERE REHEARSING FOR YEARS BEFORE THAT PLAY KIND OF AUGUST WILSON, LLOYD RICHARDS, THE NAVAJO COTERIE OF ACTRESS THAT THEY PULLED UP ON TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

SO FOR ME, TRUE ITS FORM OF PLAYMAKING IS A DEEP COLLABORATION WITH ACTORS.

>> ONE THAT'S STORY WAS ABOUT ROSA PARKS.

PERSONALLY.

I ROUTE.

HE WAS JUST TRUMP.

>> YOU'RE A BIG DEAL.

I MEAN, YOU'RE LIKE LIVING HISTORY.

>> HISTORY IS BY DEFINITION OF >> WHAT GIVE US A SENSE?

WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE TO SORT OF PRODUCE SOMETHING BRAND NEW THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

>> THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU'RE PLAYING, THE PLAY ITSELF.

HAS YOUR DNA.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU'RE SAYING THINGS THAT THE PLAYWRIGHT IS HEARING ADJUSTING TO IT SAYING TRY THIS OR I LIKE WHAT YOU DID THERE.

SO LET'S LET'S ADD THAT SO THIS THIS IS THRILLING FOR JOHN, TELL ME, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER AND CHARACTER.

NAZARETH COMES FROM A VERY PROMINENT BLACK FAMILY CHICAGO.

HIS WAS IS A PASTOR.

HIS BROTHER IS A SENATOR LIKE VERY POLITICAL IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

>> AND HE'S INCH OVER.

SO HE'S SORT OF THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE FAMILY.

GONNA TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER.

YOU PLAY AS >> I THINK SHE REPRESENTS LIKE A YOUNGER GENERATION OF THINKERS OF FEELERS AND SHAKERS.

SHE CHALLENGES.

YOU THE OLD HAD OR FOR LACK OF SO THERE'S LIKE THIS DICHOTOMY OF LIKE SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.

BUT THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE WRONG HERE.

HOW DO I HELP?

BUT IT HARRY, YOUR CHARACTER.

YOU PLAY THE PATRIARCH OF THIS FAMILY.

TELL US ABOUT HIM WHAT HE'S GOING THROUGH.

THIS IS REALLY BEEN QUITE AN INTERESTING THOUGHT EXPERIMENT DRAMATIC FORM.

WHAT WITH THE NEW WORLD LOOK LIKE?

WHAT WOULD THIS NEW MILLENNIUM?

>> LOOK LIKE WHAT WHAT THEY DO IN EYE TIME WHEN A LOT OF THINGS HAVE REPLACED TRADITIONAL VALUES WHEN REPLACED TRADITIONAL FAMILY.

WHEN GENDER ROLES HAVE CHANGED.

SO SO SIGNIFICANTLY AND PERHAPS SEISMIC LEE, THE UNSETTLING THAT THAT WOULD DO WITH THE MAN WHO'S NOW A LITTLE BIT PAST WELL, OR PERHAPS A LOT PAST HIS PRIME OVER 2 WEEKS.

>> AND I GET TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE.

I THINK IT'S BUT I CAN TELL YOU NOW.

IT WAS SOME OF THE DARKEST OF MY LIFE.

>> GLENN CLOSE, BUT YOUR CHARACTER, HOME FROM PRISON.

I THINK HE'S ON JOURNEY OF REDEMPTION AND I THINK HE TRYING TO KEEP HIS FAMILY TOGETHER AND FINDING FINDING A RE-ENTRY A SOMEWHAT, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING.

SO I THINK FOR HIM HE'S, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CONNECT WITH HIS FATHER.

HIS MOTHER IS IS HIS WIFE, HIS CHILDREN YOU KNOW, THE PLAY QUESTIONS, WHETHER FOLKS ARE DESERVING OF A SECOND CHANCE WHEN IT COSTS TO IMPART THIS SECOND CHANCE ON SOMEONE WHEN IT COSTS THE FAMILY, WHAT IT COSTS HE HIMSELF.

ONE OF THE 2 OF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCTION.

THEY >> YOU KNOW, THIS IDEA, LIST WOULD REALLY LIKE PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY THEIR COATS AND THEIR WALLETS AND THEIR JACKETS AND THEIR PHONES NOT LEAVE ANYTHING IN BLUES.

NOT BUT I THINK WE'RE BOTH INVESTED IN THE KIND OF THEATER.

THAT'S MORE OF AN OCCASION FOR GROUP REFLECTION, RIGHT?

I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF I FELT PLAY WAS ABOUT SENDING A MESSAGE OUT JUST IN TO THE MASS YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I DON'T THINK PLAYERS ARE ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP AND TOGETHER KIND OF EXAMINE THEIR VALUES, THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO EACH OTHER, THEIR COMMUNITY.

>> AND SO I THINK WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BUILD OCCASION TO REFLECT ON FAMILY HOW FAMILIES ARE SHAPED BY HISTORY, HOW FAMILIES MAKE HISTORY TO THINK ABOUT HOW FOR SOME FOLKS, FAMILY IS A LUXURY THAT ONLY GOES BACK A FEW GENERATIONS.

AND TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, REALLY EXAMINE THE WAYS IN WHICH IDEAS OF FAMILY AND FAMILY VALUES ARE SHAPING THEIR SHIFTING, RATHER NEW DIRECTIONS AND EXPANSIVE DIRECTIONS AND INSIDE OF THAT EXPANSION, MAYBE GET A CLEAR SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE NOW VERSUS WHERE WE USED TO BE.

>> COMFY COME SEE THE SHOW.

>> DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING.

THE THEATER WHEN YOU DO GO SEE THE