Broadway Breakdown — Episode Summary

Host: Matt Koplik
Episode: Matt Reviews PURPOSE & JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN
Date: April 15, 2025

Episode Overview

Matt Koplik delivers a double review episode: first, he dissects Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins’ new Broadway play Purpose, then tackles Kimberly Bellflower’s high school-set drama John Proctor Is the Villain. With his trademark passion, opinionated analysis, and colorful language, Matt dives deep into what works, what doesn’t, and what each show brings to the current Broadway season, with an eye toward Tony Awards potential.

Review #1: PURPOSE by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins

[00:10 – 41:12]

Main Theme

A sprawling family drama about legacy, race, and generational conflict, centered on a prominent Black family near Washington, D.C., as secrets, histories, and new reckonings unfold.
Matt’s Tone: Respectful, incisive, a bit let down compared to “Appropriate,” but overall positive.

Key Discussion Points

• Jacobs-Jenkins’ Playwriting Strengths:
  Matt admires the playwright’s ability to turn a microcosm (here, one family) into a mirror for society at large.

  “Something that I think Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins does very well is taking a microcosm, you know, select group of folks, and then really making us find our own mirror to what's going on on stage, as well as, you know, the mirror of society.” ([02:00])

• Plot and Characters:

  • The Jasper Family:
    • Nazareth “Naz” Jasper (John Michael Hill): The narrator, eschews his father’s legacy for his own path, a talented photographer, possibly asexual/autistic (undiagnosed).
    • Solomon Jasper (Harry Lennix): Civil rights icon, revered and rigid patriarch.
    • Claudine Jasper (LaTanya Richardson Jackson): Lawyer-turned-family-matriarch, the family’s emotional “first lady.”
    • Solomon Jr. “Junior” (Glenn Davis): Recently out of prison for corruption/money laundering, wears his emotional chaos openly.
    • Morgan Jasper (Alana Arenas): Junior’s wife, embittered, sharp, a survivor.
    • Aziza Huston (Sojourner Brown, understudy for Kara Young): Queer former neighbor seeking to have a baby with Naz.

• Performance Notes:
  Matt missed usual star Kara Young, but praises understudy Sojourner Brown’s “compelling” performance, noting Aziza isn’t the lynchpin for the play’s impact.

• Direction & Design:

  • Phylicia Rashad’s “fantastic” direction and nuanced staging.

    “She’s done a really fantastic job with the ensemble work here and small little nuances of characters in bits of staging and then has a really clear perspective.” ([07:36])

  • Scenic design: the mansion is “gorgeous,” evoking history and taste.

• Strengths:

  • Ensemble cast and dark humor:

    “What I really liked about this play, besides the ensemble work, was I really found it to be incredibly funny and had a lot of interesting insight into generational gaps…” ([16:07])

  • Insightful generational commentary:
    Reveals how activists age into rigidity; the cycle of progressive parents becoming conservative.

• Weaknesses/Constructive Criticism:

  • Overused Narration:
    Matt wishes half the protagonist’s monologues were cut:

    “But it is a device that I wish that if Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins were to take another pass at this play... I do think removing half of that narration would be helpful.” ([22:46])

  • Dialogue That Overstays:
    Characters too often “land the plane” with a perfect line, then keep talking:

    “There are so many times in Act 2... there’s a scene between Sunny Jasper, the father, and Naz at the end where there’s so many moments where both characters land the plane and then they just continue to talk. And it is. It was very frustrating for me.” ([29:43])

• Standout Moment: Alana Arenas as Morgan

  “Nobody informed me that Morgan Jasper was going to be my favorite character in Purpose… She entered this family having worked her way up...gives him two children only for him to then completely fuck them over. And now she has to go to jail…[She] has such disdain for everyone in the room, but she’s also going through a lot of pain, and...just to sort of see who’s on her side and who actually cares about her...Alana Arenas just. God, she does so much with so little. Fires bazookas when she needs to, but just is so. It’s a wonderful performance...” ([35:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On generational dynamics:

  “How one generation can be the dominating progressive side of culture, and then as they get older and they start to get more comfortable and honestly more bitter at the world and at the generations behind them, they start to get a lot more rigid and conservative in their ways. Even if they, technically speaking, marched on Washington, they now are in a state where they look down on such rambunctious behavior in the younger generations.” ([17:04])

• On editing the play:

  “When you hear dialogue as good as what he can write and then hear what absolutely should be the capping point, it’s not that I necessarily am so good at writing...But I will say I do have an intuitive sense...when they’ve nailed it and then when they go on for too long...” ([30:01])

• On Alana Arenas’ performance as Morgan Jasper:

  “It is that, but with an undercurrent of rage and toxic poison. And I loved it.” ([36:59])

Awards/Tony Prognosis

• “Tony Wise, I think they’re absolutely getting nominated for play. Probably going to get nominated for director and scenic design. May be lighting as well.” ([39:30])
• On actors: “You never bet against Kara Young...I would absolutely nominate Alana Arenas....Of the men, honestly, Glen Davis was my favorite and he had a really hard role.” ([40:08])
• In summary: strong nomination chances, might not be the “Best Play” winner, but a major contender.

Review #2: JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN by Kimberly Bellflower

[41:13 – 104:00]

Main Theme

A coming-of-age and social awakening play set in a 2018 Georgia high school, as students study The Crucible and weather the #MeToo movement, confronting issues of abuse, loyalty, denial, and solidarity.

Matt’s Tone: Admits he was “pleasantly surprised” by the play, despite skepticism over its “problematic classics” premise.

Key Discussion Points

• Premise & Setting:

  • Four central female high school students start a feminism club at the dawn of the MeToo era.
  • Their class is assigned The Crucible; the play complicates and mirrors their lives.
  • Students: Ivy (wealthy, confident), Raelyn (religious, recently dumped), Nell (new girl from Atlanta), Beth (type-A, teacher’s pet), and others.

• Complexity, Not Stereotypes:

  • Matt is quick to clarify:

    “John Proctor as the villain isn’t what they promote it as. That’s not what it’s about. It’s not about a bunch of Gen Zers in a classroom talking about how The Crucible is problematic. It’s a little more complicated than that.” ([26:42])

• Plot Mechanics/Character Dynamics:

  • Raelyn’s breakup (her boyfriend Lee cheats with Shelby, a friend recently returned from psychiatric leave).
  • Ivy’s personal fallout when her father is accused of sexual misconduct.
  • Nell, the new girl, trying to reinvent herself.
  • Beth’s codependency on their popular, supportive teacher, Mr. Smith.
  • The play’s tension peaks when Shelby reveals an affair with Mr. Smith—blowing up the class and dividing allegiances.

• Themes & Layers:

  • How quickly moral clarity shifts when an accused person is well-liked and close to home.
  • The nuanced reality of “believe women” meets the messiness of friendships and self-interest.
  • Honest, deep depiction of Gen-Z girls—funny, flawed, sharp-tongued, complicated.

• Standout Scene:

  • The climactic in-class presentation:
    • Shelby and Raelyn do a scene as The Crucible’s Elizabeth and Abigail, breaking from Arthur Miller’s male-hero focus.
    • The scene allows the girls to voice their truths (“I want to talk to you and learn more about you. Abigail, why did you dance?”), followed by an interpretive dance.
  • As Mr. Smith tries to halt them, the other girls rise in solidarity.
  • The closing image: Beth, the teacher’s loyal defender, rises with a new, ambiguous resolve.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On expectations:

  “I have not made it a secret that this play sounded like my worst nightmare, just based off of the bylines...But I would like to AP to this play because this play turned out to be quite a surprise for me, a very pleasant surprise.” ([26:53])

• On the depth of the “MeToo” theme:

  “They say they want to believe victims, but the moment it gets put in their own backyard and it’s men that they personally know, that’s when it gets complicated, which I think is something that we see all the time.” ([1:10:00])

• On predators and abuse:

  “Because that’s what predators do. They don’t find — like, he wouldn’t find the Ivy who’s constantly surrounded by friends who has self esteem, who has a good home life at that at the time, and goes in for manipulation and coercion and gaslighting. These teachers who are predators...they isolate. They find students who are in a vulnerable position...They start getting them accustomed to being spoken to and touched and treated in a very different way from everyone else. ‘You’re so special. You’re so smart. You’re so mature for your age. None of these kids understand you, but I see you...’” ([1:24:54])

• On writing Gen-Z on stage:

  “It is perhaps the most accurate, or if not the most accurate, what feels the most accurate, at least the most genuine, the most organic representation of Gen Z in media right now, definitely on stage.” ([1:01:20])

Performance & Direction

• Direction (Donya Taymor):
  “Really strong...great ensemble work...transitional work with lighting...adds to the tension.” ([1:31:58])

• Acting Standouts:

  • Finn Estrasza as Beth: “...most precise in her work...really nails it pretty much every step of the way.” ([1:34:27])
  • Amalia You as Raelyn:
    Both cited for specific, lived-in character work.
  • Sadie Sink as Shelby:
    Praised for stage presence and emotional range, but “needs a little more time to kind of get her stage instrument working again...I’m sure as the run continues she’ll just get better and better.” ([1:36:30])

• Bit of Critique:

  • Weakest writing: The teacher, Mr. Smith (Gabriel Ebert), feels more a plot device than a fleshed-out character, especially in the “villainous” turn after the reveal.

    “He does not feel real to me, especially because he kind of turns when the play needs him to turn.” ([1:21:45])

Awards/Tony Prognosis

• Strong for Best Play nomination, ensemble recognition, direction, lighting, and scenic design.
• “If anyone could be the lead, it would be Finn Estrasza as Beth, but...I would love her to actually be nominated for featured actress.”
• “Look for John Proctor as the Villain during Tony season…I was really impressed with this show. Very much so.” ([1:41:30])

Biggest Takeaway & Matt’s Signature Advice

• On staying open-minded:

  “And this is why we go into every show with an open mind at arm’s length. Because even if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, even if you’ve heard negative or positive things about it, you can go in and have your mind be changed.” ([1:41:15])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Purpose – Play Analysis: [00:10 – 41:12]
• Purpose – Strengths, Weaknesses, Awards Outlook: [15:25 – 41:00]
• John Proctor Is the Villain – Plot, Impressions: [41:15 – 62:00]
• John Proctor – Character, Themes, Climax: [62:00 – 88:00]
• John Proctor – Performances, Direction, Critique, Prognosis: [88:00 – 104:00]

Signature Quotes

• On “Purpose”:
  • “I think cutting is the easiest thing to do in the world. So if that is my only real major note for purpose, then they’re playing with house money as far as I’m concerned.” ([40:54])
• On “John Proctor Is the Villain”:
  • “It is perhaps the most accurate...most genuine, the most organic representation of Gen Z in media right now, definitely on stage.” ([1:01:20])
  • “Look for John Proctor as the Villain during Tony season...I was really impressed with this show. Very much so.” ([1:41:21])

Final Thoughts

Matt rates both plays highly—Purpose for its craft and ensemble, if in need of editing; John Proctor for its surprising nuance and “genuine” depiction of contemporary youth. Both offer “meaty” family/community drama, deftly blending laughter and pain. Expect both to show up in Tony conversations, especially for their writing, ensemble, and design.

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