Is God Is

by Aleshea Harris

Winner of the 2016 Relentless Award from the American Playwriting Foundation. Introduction by Dawn Lundy Martin. Aleshea Harris' IS GOD IS is a classic revenge tale about two sisters that blends tragedy, typography, the Spaghetti Western, hip-hop and Afropunk. In this necessary new play, emotions are laid bare through gaps in language and characters are a window into the canon as well as our own broken times. "A rigorous new work that unearths our deepest fears about humanity and who we think we are in relation to ourselves and the divine."--Dawn Lundy Martin "Family, as the old tragedians knew, is our first country. Therefore, it's the earth from which we forge our first weapons, the fields of our first wars, the very turf over which we fight. With IS GOD IS, Aleshea Harris audaciously scours tragedy down with the rough edge of a rock. To read this merciless play is to get blood in your eye--and in Harris' sure grip, you'll recall that blood washes and stains, can run hot or cold, means both violence and family."--Douglas Kearney Drama. Poetry. Performance Studies. African & African American Studies. California Interest. Hybrid Genre. 3 Hole Press is a small press bringing new audiences to new plays in printed formats. The Press publishes titles that expand notions of what a play is, the possibilities that emerge for drama on the page, and the connection between plays and other mediums. Interdisciplinary by design, these books belong outside the drama section.

Genres: Plays, Read For School, School, College, Drama

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2017

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I became aware of this new play when the NYT named it one of the 10 best for 2018. I can only presume it plays a lot better than it reads, as - even with some funky 'adventures in typography' (as the script edition calls it - which basically means the font size changes for no apparent reason, and words are set out on the page helter skelter) - the play itself is readable, but doesn't seem all that special.

The plot concerns a set of African-American twin girls who, back when they were babies, were severely burned in a fire, along with their mother (whom they inexplicably think is God) set by their father, who then disappeared. All of them bear scars over much of their bodies, and as the mother feels she is about to die, burdens her daughters with seeking the death of the perpetrator. Supposedly inspired by the fable of Cain & Abel, and the alleged curse of black skin ensuing from such, the play presents some Tarantino-esque scenes of carnage, prior to its mild resolution. Uber-producer Scott Rudin has purchased the film rights, so there must be something here I'm not seeing.

PS... this is the first book published by 3Hole Press, which extends its brand by, indeed, having three holes punched in the front cover! Clever!

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/202...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully published and poetic script. It's violent and electric and the characters are written for actors. There are no good guys in this play. This is a masterful blend of poetry and theater. Set apart from time and space, but distinctly American. Using dialect and and elevating it to the point of high poetry. This play is a true American tragedy.
I'm excited to see more of her work.

[Octavia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now here’s a damn play!!!

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

this play is cool as fuck. (SPOILERS AHEAD) It is my second read of the week about black intergenerational trauma x murder and it was maybe done better in we deserve monuments, but hey this is a cool play and you don’t get everything in just reading a play (duh). though perhaps a little sparsely developed, I thought this was a good (but quick!) read overall and I am VERY excited to see it staged fr. but damn, so violent and the “adventures in typography” as harris puts it, do make it a little hard to read on paper (which is why it’s a PLAY, duh). and I get the violence as a conduit of trauma and rage, but I just wished there was one climax of love in a relationship in the play, yk? it feels like an exploration of poetry at some points rather than a full play’s arc. things definitely happen and change, but i’m not sure I even know enough about the characters to know if they change and grow too (although this is kind of a silly comment if you’ve read this play given the plot, and if u read on, you’ll see why)


(SPOILERS SPOILERS NO REALLY MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD)


did they really all have to die though? it maybe felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. the voices of the characters were definitely super distinct and I totally got the sense that they were each individuals, but there was just not enough there for me in the text really. BUT READY TO SEE IT ONSTAGE, (there is plenty of room to fill it all in in performance I think? but def will still be a litttttle abstract). also I thought the pregnancy spring at the end was just a littttttle trite.

BUT AGAIN — I just think I didn’t get it and I *will* get it when performed. it was definitely explosive and dynamic, and i’m sure will be better in motion. so goes poetry <3

[Adrian Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply harrowing and quieting, this play is beautifully published for the lover of reading plays and the first-time play reader. Each character is doomed, maybe cursed, suffering under their own actions, or are these the result of another’s choices. This play refuses to let the reader choose a side, though it will tease you into thinking you stand strong on whichever side you find yourself until it all ends up in flames.

[K G · Rating 4 out of 5]

WTAF - I might have more opinions/thoughts after class discussion, but I feel very uncomfortable

[sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my play-reading bag! This was from earlier in spring quarter. I'd say a 4.5 ish with an extra .2 bump for the fact that it sat with me and I really had to digest it before starting another play.

-TLDR: READ THIS PLAY IF YOU CAN
(SPOILER AHEAD)

This play was crazyyyy. I really enjoyed the different stylistic liberties Alesha Harris took with the text in the published play. They really informed how I imagined the line delivery. I was surprised at how much I as a reader could fill in the blanks from just the dialogue and stage directions. It would be really cool to direct a production of this. i felt like for certain scenes I imagined a theater performance on a set, while for others I imagined it as more of a film.

The ending was WILD, and the fact that ‘Naia was the one who survived? phew. it was a lot more violent than i expected, but i found a promo about a production where the director had some interesting thoughts. When a person is victim to brutality, does that justify their own violent actions? How much?

[Melina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern folk tale that stumbles on many of the pitfalls of simplistic moralism historically found in the form. Racine is an evil, sexy, idol worshiper who ends her journey dragged to hell by “the devil”. Anaia is a good (?) innocent, final girl, saved from sin (internal ugliness) by her physical “ugliness”; who only kills in self defense, other defense, or to destroy the false idol.
(Is she really good though because she passively sat by and let this all happen or even enabled it? Probably that lingering question is intentional(?).)

I wonder what this writer would have to say about her relationship to her own mother.

Well crafted. Darkly funny. Dialogue that felt both poetic and realistic. Tight and propulsive.

Maybe the play is right and we can’t escape our generational trauma but it’d be nice to think otherwise.

[Len Cuthbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the Samuel French actor's edition and read it after seeing the production by Canadian Stage in Toronto, May 22, 2022, and staying for the talk back session afterwards. The production was outstanding. I wanted to read the play again, partly because I wanted a copy of a play I thought was so good, but also because at the talk back, the production and acting team talked about the unique way the script was intentionally written, with different sized fonts, staggered, separated, wavy, and so on, to emphasize what the playwright was envisioning.

[Martisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw Is God Is live in 2023 during a Black Out event in Ottawa, Ontario. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but by the end of it, I was so completely blown away. While the after-party was amazing, the show itself was absolutely spectacular—so much so that I still talk about it two years later. The storytelling, performances, and raw emotion were unforgettable. I wish I could bring more people to experience it with me all over again.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild effing ride. Relentless and brutal and every bit of it earned. I loved the dialog and the logic that threw us from one death to another. And I did rather like the typography play.

And. I have ZERO desire to see this as a film. (Okay, not totally true: I have a small desire.) I'm imagining filmed violence to be so much more harrowing than in the theater, where it seems, it is all a bit mythical. (Maybe they'll be able to achieve that on film? Okay okay, I'm curious.)

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected, but interesting and challenging enough. Feels like it skims over itself, perturbing the reader/audience without a moment of reprieve until the end- though that’s far from the emotion you’ll likely feel by the time you read the last line. Trying to Understand Plays again; given the classical leanings of this one, I’m not off to a horrible start.

[Kahmal Sealey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like another poster said, I'm sure it plays better than it reads.

The concept was good, but personally think the author could've stayed on the path of reality instead of introducing murder and 'bringing back treasures from the victims' - I think this broke the illusion and the play felt like it was forcing itself to be different by adding in these elements.

[Samantha Brounstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Aleshea writes brings the reader and viewer on a strange important journey through pain and reconciliation. She masters language and dialect while simultaneously directing delivery in the readers head. I definitely recommend to any and all to read this powerful piece of writing.

[Sarah Swiderski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris defines anger within a spiritual and uniquely female sphere, equating rage to the religious fervor prevalent within America’s Bible Belt. This is a retelling of Cain and Abel laden with social commentary—and well done at that.

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel like i’d rather watch this than read it. the typography was fun but mainly for the aesthetics and not for the voices of the characters. i’d love to see donald glover and jordan peele get their hands on this!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ya can’t outrun it
Girl.
Iss gonna meet you wherever you go."
An amazing play about generational trauma, beauty politics, and how far we'll go to get revenge--even at the expense of ourselves. Such creative typography. I have to see this on the stage.

[Finn Grogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting play about the dynamics of sisterhood, identity, and violence. Interested in how textual style changes are used through performances. I know in other's reviews, there was a hatred with the lack of reasoning within the text changes, but I appreciate the creativity.

[gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING and very intense play. beautifully written and i would be so interested to see a production of this live with such interesting typography

“Iss real quiet now”

“Funny
I still hear noise”

just wow.

also i found out this is getting adapted into a movie??? so excited for that.

[Emma Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. Whitmonday play marathon is ending.
Absolutely breathless the whole time. Pacing is incredible. Obviously what I liked with “ladders” in Annie Baker’s John, and because I think concrete poetry is amazing and etc, I loved the decisions about typography and I want more of it.

[Finn Grogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting play about the dynamics of sisterhood, identity, and violence. Interested in how textual style changes are used through performances. I know in other's reviews, there was a hatred with the lack of reasoning within the text changes, but I appreciate the creativity.

[Not Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Play
8 characters

A retelling of a Bible story. Strong writing.

[Leylamaría · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEY GUYS UHHHH HOLY FUCKING SHIT

[Val Timke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming!

[Allison]

I truly have no idea how I feel about this play...

[j · Rating 4 out of 5]

the ROCK. the TYPOGRAPHY. the CURSE

[Mitchel · Rating 5 out of 5]

At turns hilarious and heart-breaking, Harris' imagination and intelligence burn up the page in this fever-dream revenge tragedy.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play was excellent! Read it aloud for drama club and we were completely entranced by it. Love this writing style and the typography is everything.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devastating down to the marrow

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved...