Good Bones
1 hour and 45 minutes, no intermission
Good Bones - 2024 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
Joseph Papp Public Theater/Martinson Hall
425 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10003
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.
Good Bones - 2024 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Good Bones
Good Bones
6 / 10
Good Bones is very different in tone from Ijames's Pulitzer Prize-winning Fat Ham, but the two plays have several themes in common, including generational trauma, conflicting values and ever-present ghosts; exploring these questions from a socioeconomic perspective, not a racial one, shifts the stakes in interesting ways. (Even Earl is complicit in the changes to his community.) Director Saheem Ali, incisive as always, does what he can to animate Ijames’s contemplations of class, code-switching and the corrosive effects of gentrification, and the result is mostly engaging if not always convincing. There may be a great play inside Good Bones, but it needs a bit more fleshing out.
The GOOD BONES of a Great Gentrification Play — Review
8 / 10
But with across-the-board stellar performances; a simple set (by Maruti Evans) that slowly unveils the house-in-progress; lighting (by Barbara Samuels) and sound (by Fan Zhang) that’s naturalistic, until it’s not – as Aisha’s gnawing conscience begins to take shape; and an intelligent script, it’s only a minor stumble.
Category
by Stephi Wild - October 4, 2024
Performances are underway for The Public Theater's GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Check out all new clips from the show in the video here!
by A.A. Cristi - October 1, 2024
The Public Theater is presenting GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Read the reviews!
by Jennifer Broski - October 2, 2024
The Public Theater just celebrated opening night of GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Check out photos from inside the big night!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - September 24, 2024
The Public Theater is presenting GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames explores gentrification and the growing price of the American dream in his sharp, funny new play, GOOD BONES. Get a first look at production photos.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - September 12, 2024
The Public Theater will begin performances for the New York premiere of GOOD BONES, written by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames. The production has been extended. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
by A.A. Cristi - September 9, 2024
James Ijames’ New York premiere of GOOD BONES, directed by Saheem Ali starts previews on Thursday, September 19 at The Public Theater. The company is hard at work in the rehearsal room preparing for the show's debut. Head behind the scenes in new photos!
by A.A. Cristi - July 23, 2024
The Public Theater has announced casting for the long-anticipated New York premiere of GOOD BONES written by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames and directed by Public Theater Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director Saheem Ali.
Good Bones History
Other Productions of Good Bones
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
The Public Theater Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
Good Bones - 2024 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design of a Play | Fan Zhang |
| 2025 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY | Saheem Ali |
Videos