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Aleshea Harris

BIO

Aleshea Harris is a playwright, spoken word poet and educator who received an MFA in Writing for Performance from California Institute of the Arts. She is currently working on projects commissioned by American Conservatory Theater and CalArts’ Center for New Performance.
Her work as a playwright has been presented many places including: the Costume Shop at American Conservatory Theater, Playfest at Orlando Shakespeare Theater, freeFall Theatre Company, VOXfest at Dartmouth, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and L’École de la Comédie de Saint-Étienne, National Drama Center in France. Her play, Road Kill Giant, was among 300 nominees to The List of “excellent new plays” compiled by The Kilroys in 2014.
Aleshea’s poetry has been featured at RedCat Theater for CalArts’s Tedx Conference, as part of La Fête du Livre at La Comèdie de Saint-Étienne, at the Skirball Center and in the 2015 anthology, The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop.
Harris has instructed at the Marcia P. Hoffman Institute of Performing Arts, The Royal Theater Boys and Girls Club, Youth Arts Corps, and The Patel Conservatory. Harris currently teaches in the School of Theatre at CalArts, and through CalArts’ Community Arts Partnership (CAP).

Photos

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2022]
Writer

Awards and Nominations

The Pulitzer Prize - 2023 - Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Aleshea Harris, On Sugarland

Drama League Awards - 2018 - Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play

Aleshea HarrisIs God Is


winner
Obie Awards - 2018 - Playwriting Award

Aleshea HarrisIs God Is

Videos

News


Video: Kara Young Stars in First Trailer for IS GOD IS Film Adaptation
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 20, 2026

The first trailer has dropped for Is God Is, the new feature adaptation of Aleshea Harris' award-winning play of the same name. The movie marks Harris's feature directorial debut and stars two-time Tony winner Kara Young and Mallori Johnson. Watch it now.
Katie Finneran, Will Pullen and More to Star in THE RECEPTIONIST at Second Stage Theater
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 19, 2026

Second Stage Theater has revealed the complete cast for its upcoming production of Adam Bock’s dark comedy, The Receptionist, directed by Sarah Benson.
Chalse Okeke, Sheldon J. Nicholas, Bryce Foley, & Celestine Rae Set For Benefit Reading Of IS GOD IS
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 10, 2026

Terry Knickerbocker Studio will present a one-day-only reading of IS GOD IS by Aleshea Harris on Sunday February 22nd at 3pm at The Landing In Industry City, benefiting the Equity in Acting Excellence Project.
Chalse Okeke, Sheldon J. Nicholas, Bryce Foley, & Celestine Rae Set for Benefit Reading of IS GOD IS
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 10, 2026

Terry Knickerbocker Studio has will present a one-day-only reading of IS GOD IS by Aleshea Harris at The Landing In Industry City, benefiting the Equity in Acting Excellence Project.
Brandon Uranowitz to Receive 2026 Jewish Queer Icon Award
by Josh Sharpe - Jan 22, 2026

JQY (Jewish Queer Youth) will honor Tony Award-winning actor Brandon Uranowitz with the Jewish Queer Icon Award this March and Tony Award-winning producer Riva Marker with the JQY Trailblazer Award.
David Geffen School Of Drama To Stage IS GOD IS In January
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 2, 2025

David Geffen School of Drama at Yale will stage Aleshea Harris’s IS GOD IS January 24–30 at the University Theatre. The production, directed by Jasmine Brooks, follows twin sisters on a cross-country journey shaped by mythic scale and contemporary influences.
LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES and More Set for David Geffen School of Drama at Yale 2025"26 Season
by A.A. Cristi - Sep 11, 2025

David Geffen School of Drama at Yale has announced its 2025–26 season, featuring Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Utopia, and Is God Is. Running October 2025 through January 2026, the productions will be staged at Yale Rep, Iseman Theater, and University Theatre.
The Moth To Honor Erika Alexander And Deborah Dugan At This Year's Moth Ball
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 24, 2025

Acclaimed global storytelling organization The Moth will unveil the details for their highly anticipated annual fundraising gala, Fantastic Voyage: The 2025 Moth Ball. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of The Lighthouse at Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers, the event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13th.
The Bushwick Starr to Present World Premiere of Shayok Misha Chowdhury's RHEOLOGY
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 18, 2025

The Bushwick Starr is partnering with HERE Arts Center and Ma-Yi Theater Company to present the world premiere of Rheology, written and directed by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Shayok Misha Chowdhury.
Playwright Charles Smith Awarded $25,000 Kesselring Prize By The National Arts Club
by A.A. Cristi - Mar 7, 2025

The National Arts Club has announced its 2024 Kesselring Prize for Playwriting has been awarded to Charles Smith, who was nominated by the Cleveland Playhouse for his play The Price of the Ticket.
Soho Rep Will Pay Tribute to Walkerspace With SOHO REP IS NOT A BUILDING. SOHO REP HAD A BUILDING…
by Stephi Wild - Jan 15, 2025

Walkerspace (1991-2024), Soho Rep’s 65-seat venue at 46 Walker Street, will be laid to rest this January 2025. Celebrate the space with an special tribute event this week.
Hermitage To Present Two Greenfield Prize Commission Premieres At The Ringling
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 10, 2025

The Ringling Museum of Art will host the first public showings of the original commissions resulting from the 2023 Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP).
GIVE ME CARMELITA TROPICANA! Extends for Final Time at Soho Rep
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 20, 2024

Soho Rep will present a second and final extension of its highly acclaimed world premiere production of Alina Troyano (aka Carmelita Tropicana) and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Give Me Carmelita Tropicana!. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Hermitage Announces Playwright Naomi Iizuka as Winner of 2024-2025 Hermitage Major Theater Award
by Blair Ingenthron - Nov 4, 2024

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, has announced that California-based playwright Naomi Iizuka has been selected as the fifth recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA).
Kara Young to Star in Film Adaptation of Alesha Harris' IS GOD IS Play
by Josh Sharpe - Oct 31, 2024

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are set to star as the main twin sisters in a new feature adaptation of Alesha Harris' award-winning play Is God Is. Sterling K. Brown, Vivica A. Fox and Janelle Monae have also been cast in the film, which Harris is adapting from her play.
Dave Harris Wins The 2024 Relentless Award For MANAKIN
by Stephi Wild - Sep 24, 2024

Playwright Dave Harris has been awarded the 2024 Relentless Award and will receive a $50,000 prize for his play MANAKIN.
S T A R R Busby Builds Revolutionary Communal Healing Space At JACK In August
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 26, 2024

Award-winning composer S T A R R busby builds a revolutionary communal healing space at JACK with Working Up A Surrender: Collective Healing Experiments, running August 15 - August 18, 2024.
New York Theatre Workshop Unveils 2024/25 2050 Administrative And Artistic Fellows
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jul 17, 2024

New York Theatre Workshop has revealed the 2024/25 2050 Administrative and Artistic Fellows, highlighting emerging talent in theatre administration and artistic fields. Learn more!
Special Offer: IS GOD IS at Constellation Theatre Company
by BWW Special Offer - Jun 24, 2024

50% Off Tickets Here Only - IS GOD IS at Constellation Theatre Company
Review: IS GOD IS at Constellation Theatre Company
by Jackson Malmgren - Jun 21, 2024

What did our critic think of IS GOD IS at Constellation Theatre Company?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What awards has Aleshea Harris been nominated for?

Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for On Sugarland, Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play (Drama League Awards) for Is God Is and Playwriting Award (Obie Awards) for Is God Is.

What awards has Aleshea Harris won?

Aleshea Harris won the Playwriting Award at the Obie Awards for her work on Is God Is.

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