After winning the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for his play *Fat Ham*, playwright James Ijames' new production explores gentrification and the growing price of the American dream in his sharp and funny play, GOOD BONES. A work opportunity to revitalize the blighted neighborhood she grew up in has led Aisha and her chef husband Travis to buy and renovate a charming old house. But as everyone knows, renovation is expensive and stressful—both for buildings and the communities that surround them. Aisha’s young contractor Earl grew up in the area too, but his memories are of more than just dangerous streets and hollowed-out homes. When their purely professional relationship gives way to heated debate about who gets to stay and who has to go, Aisha is forced to reckon with the choices she’s made to get ahead and the painful, joyful, complicated ghosts that haunt her dreams…and her dream house. The Public’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director Saheem Ali directs this world premiere play about community, change, and the soul of our cities.
Saheem Ali directs a one-acter that only scratches the surface of the gentrification debate
For spouses Aisha and Travis, a charming historic home in Aisha’s hometown offers the ideal renovation opportunity when the couple relocate for her new job. The home has good bones — a solid foundation, sound framing, and long-term durability. Likewise, James Ijames’s Good Bones, directed by Saheem Ali, has the framework of a great new play, with nuanced characters and a charged conflict.
2024 | Off-Broadway |
The Public Theater Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
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