Ayanna Bria Bakari, an emerging star in the entertainment industry, is set to dazzle audiences with her latest role in Purpose. Renowned for her deep, immersive acting technique, Bakari skillfully explores the intricacies of her characters, infusing them with authentic emotion and complexity. In a recent discussion with rolling out, she shared her insights on how Purpose, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Phylicia Rashad, can contribute to the conversation around diversity. Bakari also offered her perspective on humanity and gave a glimpse into what audiences can anticipate from Purpose, premiering at the legendary Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago.
What can we expect from you in Purpose? How did you come across it?
I worked with Steppenwolf last year in a new production by Donetta Lavinia Grays, Last Night and the Night Before. I did that last spring, and I love working with this ensemble so much. I got the call about — or the email — about auditioning for Purpose. I was so excited because I knew I wanted to be a part of this production.
The show is full of a lot of surprises, a lot of tea. A lot of pain and a lot of love. And I think I’m still excited to see what happens. We are only just finished week two of rehearsal, so I’m very excited to see you know where it goes from here.
Is there any single moment or achievement that stands out in your career that’s been particularly memorable?
Honestly, I’m so early in my career. I will say that booking this role is my latest achievement that I am extremely proud of [as well as] being asked to rejoin Steppenwolf and be there with them for another production. That is an incredible honor.
How do you hope your work, including this role that you have on Purpose, contributes to a broader conversation about diversity and representation in the arts?
There are so many people in this world that say, Oh, my story is this, my story is that [and] my story is more important. I think that we are all connected, and all of our stories are connected in some way because we are all human and we all live in this world. Things that affect us on the South Side could be affecting us on the North Side. Things that happen overseas could be affecting us here, and vice versa, but there are so many disconnects.
There’s this transactional way that people live in the world where if this doesn’t benefit me, I’m not putting my money towards it, I’m not helping this cause or I am going to support this cause that is harming these groups of people. And what people forget is we’re people, forget to look at the humanity of all of us, regardless of race and … economic status. And I hope that my performance in this production and this production altogether shows that like, this is yes, a story about a … prominent Black family, going through and clawing itself out of the muck and healing and fixing the cracks or addressing the cracks.
This family could be a White family, could be a Jewish family, could be a Latino family, could be an Asian family. It’s about family, and it’s about finding your purpose in life. It’s an American story. It’s American history. It’s all humanity, regardless if it’s happening in America or Africa or India. It is relatable.
Purpose runs from March 14 to April 21 at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago.
