GOOD BONES Comes to Arden Theatre Company in January

Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company will present the Philadelphia premiere of Good Bones, the newest play by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames (Fat Ham), about gentrification and the consequences of change in a neighborhood and in a family. Directed by Philadelphia-based award-winning actor Akeem Davis, Good Bones begins performances January 22, opens January 28, and runs through March 8.

Good Bones follows Aisha as she returns to her childhood neighborhood with her husband to help developers “revitalize” the place she grew up. As they renovate their new home, her homecoming proves more complicated than expected. When their contractor learns that Aisha is involved in bringing a controversial sports arena to the community, tensions ignite around who gets to stay and who must go when cities change. Featuring an all-Philadelphia cast and design team, Good Bones uses sharp humor and emotional depth to explore the tension between progress and preservation, asking who cities are built for and what gets lost in the name of change.

“Drawing inspiration from Philadelphia’s own arena fiasco, Good Bones is a dynamic play by James Ijames that pulls audiences into a thrilling discussion of whether it’s possible to restore a community without reimagining it altogether, or is reinvention simply the cost of revitalization,” says Akeem Davis, Director of Good Bones. “Set in a kitchen-mid-renovation, the play centers the notion of home and poses the incredibly personal conundrum we’ve all had to face: what to do with your roots? Explored through four wildly different characters, Good Bones operates on the edge of whether it’s right to hold tightly to roots - no matter how strained - or to sever the ties that bind in pursuit of a broader perspective.”

Akeem Davis brings a deep connection to both the playwright and the Arden to the production. A Philadelphia-based, award-winning actor and director, Davis has appeared in numerous Arden productions, including The Mountaintop (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), King Hedley II (King Hedley II), Intimate Apparel (George Armstrong), The Lehman Trilogy (Mayer Lehman), and A Doll’s House (Krogstad), earning the Barrymore Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor. His work as a director continues to expand his artistic impact in the region, most recently directing A Raisin in the Sun at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. 

Newton Buchanan (Travis), a Philadelphia-based actor, has previously appeared at the Arden in Holy Grail of Memphis (Derek Benoit) and The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) (Guy, Fleshlumpeater, Classmate, Ronald Simkins). Buchanan’s regional work includes roles at Philadelphia Theatre Company, New Light Theatre, Delaware Theater Company, Deep Blue Theatre, and Curio Theatre Company. Buchanan has also appeared in the HBO series Mare of Easttown.  

Taysha Marie Canales (Aisha) is a three-time Barrymore Award nominee and  F. Otto Haas Emerging Philadelphia Theater Artist Recipient who has previously appeared at the Arden in King Hedley II (Tonya), A Streetcar Named Desire (Eunice Hubbell), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia, Tom Snout), The Jungle Book (Mother Wolf, Monkey, Kaa), and La Bête (Madeline Bejart). Canales’ regional work includes roles at People’s Light, the Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and the Azuka Theatre. 

Walter DeShields (Earl) is an award-winning actor, director, and educator, as well as the co-founder/co-artistic director of Theatre in the X, a professional company dedicated to providing free, community-centered theatre in West Philadelphia. Previously, DeShields appeared in roles at the Arden, including Clyde’s (Montrellous) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Steve Hubbell). He currently serves as adjunct faculty at Rowan, Drexel, and Eastern Universities. Regionally, DeShields has appeared in roles at numerous theatres, including Bristol Riverside Theatre, Once Upon a Bridge, and the Lantern Theatre Company.   

Kishia Nixon (Carmen) is a Barrymore Award-winning actress who previously appeared at the Arden in The Mountaintop (Camae), Holy Grail of Memphis (Gigi Robins), The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant) (Sam, Bonecruncher, Classmate, Sam Simkins), and Clyde’s (Letita). Regionally, Nixon has appeared in roles at numerous theatres, including Theatre Exile, Delaware Theatre Company, Act II Playhouse, and the Lantern Theatre Company.