Dialog Title

×

Your cart is about to expire.

Good Bones

GOOD BONES

"Home" from James Ijames' GOOD BONES | The Public Theater
Martinson Hall September 19 - October 27, 2024 1 hour and 45 minutes, no intermission

New York Premiere 

GOOD BONES 
By James Ijames 
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. 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 must 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 Saheem Ali directs this New York premiere new play about community, change, and the soul of our cities.   



Cast.

Image of Aaron J. Anderson

Aaron J. Anderson

Understudy

AARON J. ANDERSON (Understudy). NY: MUD: or when things get messy and how we live with it (Connelly Theater); The Brother’s Size; Fucking A (Columbia University). Regional: Passover (Echo Theatre). Television/Film: “All-American” (The CW); War Paint (Sundance); Cap (HBO short). He is a graduate of the Columbia MFA Acting Program ’24. He’d like to thank God, his mother, grandmother and family for their love and support, and to honor his late father and uncle in this performance.

Image of Mamoudou Athie

Mamoudou Athie

Travis

MAMOUDOU ATHIE (Travis) is an Emmy-nominated actor based in LA. Athie was last seen in Kinds of Kindness (Searchlight). He also recently wrapped Wardriver for writer-director Becca Thomas. Last year, Athie was seen in Maggie Betts’ The Burial (Amazon Prime Video). Athie also led Pixar’s Elemental (Golden Globe nomination) and recorded a supporting role for Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron, which was also nominated for a Golden Globe. He has starred in Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion and the James Wan-produced Netflix series “Archive 81.” Additional credits include Prentice Penny’s feature “Uncorked” (Netflix), Black Box (Amazon and Blumhouse), Jason Reitman’s The Front Runner, James Ponsoldt’s Facebook series “Sorry For Your Loss,” Netflix’s Unicorn Store, the breakout Sundance hit Patti Cake$, and Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series “The Get Down.”​ Athie was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for his role in “Oh Jerome, No” (FX).  He is a graduate from Yale School of Drama’s MFA program and was given the Rising Star honor at TIFF in 2017.

Image of Khris Davis

Khris Davis

Earl

KHRIS DAVIS (Earl) played the title role in Sony’s biopic Big George Foreman opposite Forest Whitaker, who played his mentor/boxing trainer Doc Broadus.  Davis played the heartbreaking role of “Biff Loman” in the acclaimed Broadway production of Death of a Salesman with Wendell Pierce and Sharon D. Clarke.  He made his New York stage debut in Marco Ramirez’s The Royale at Lincoln Center Theater.  Loosely based on the life of Jack Johnson, his performance garnered him a Clive Barnes Award, an Obie Award and a Theatre World Award for Best Actor.  He also starred in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of the Tony-nominated Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynn Nottage play Sweat and Atlantic Theater Company’s production of Fireflies with DeWanda Wise. Davis recurred on FX’s award-winning “Atlanta” opposite Donald Glover and for which he received a SAG Award nomination as part of the ensemble.  His feature credits include Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit, Space Jam: A New Legacy with LeBron James, and the Oscar-nominated Judas and The Black Messiah.

Image of Téa Guarino

Téa Guarino

Carmen

TÉA GUARINO (Carmen) is so grateful to be making her Public debut! Guarino is a recent graduate of Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, where she holds her BFA in Acting (’23). Favorite credits: A Hundred Words for Snow (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre). TV: “Law and Order: SVU.” Guarino wants to give thanks to everyone at HCKR, Matthew Lesher and her amazing parents who have always believed in her. @teaguarino_

Image of Nedra Marie Taylor

Nedra Marie Taylor

Aisha

NEDRA MARIE TAYLOR (Aisha starting 10/26) holds an MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School. Broadway: The Book of Mormon (Eugene O’Neill); Marvin's Room (Roundabout). Off-Broadway: The House that Will Not Stand (NYTW); The Underlying Chris (2nd Stage); Mr. Burns, and A Life (Playwrights Horizons); Lost Lake (MTC). TV: “Rose Callaway on Invasion” (Apple TV+), “Brilliant Minds,” “Elsbeth,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Orange is The New Black,” “Random Acts of Flyness,” “Jessica Jones,” and more. @nedramarietaylor

Image of Sabrina K. Victor

Sabrina K. Victor

Understudy

SABRINA K. VICTOR (Understudy) is a proud Haitian-American making her Public debut. New York Theater: Sean’s Story (54 Below). A.R.T.’s 1776 and The Donkey Show. Other regional credits include School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play (SpeakEasyStage) and Miss You Like Hell (Company One). Victor is recent graduate of Columbia University’s MFA Acting Program. sabrinakvictor.com

Image of Susan Kelechi Watson

Susan Kelechi Watson

Aisha

SUSAN KELECHI WATSON (Aisha) is best known for her much lauded role as ‘Beth Pearson’ on the smash hit series “This is Us.” Her acclaimed performance garnered her back-to-back SAG Outstanding Ensemble Awards as well as yearly NAACP nominations and several Critics Choice nominations. On stage, Watson starred in the London production of Eureka Day opposite Helen Hunt at The Old Vic and The Public's Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Merry Wives adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali. On TV, Watson can next be seen in the Shondaland limited series “The Residence” for Netflix. She most recently guest starred on ABC’s “Will Trent” and memorably recurred in a major role on FX’s critically acclaimed comedy series "Louie". In film, Watson starred in Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood opposite Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys. She is the exec producer and one of the stars of the groundbreaking HBO adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me,” as well as the executive producer of Premature on Hulu.

Creative.

James Ijames
Playwright
Saheem Ali
Director
Maruti Evans
Scenic Design
Oana Botez
Costume Design
Barbara Samuels
Lighting Design
Fan Zhang
Sound Design
Krystal Balleza
Hair and Wig Design
Claire M. Kavanah
Prop Management
Darrell Grand Moultrie
Movement Consultant
Jack Phillips Moore
Dramaturgy
Norman Anthony Small
Production Stage Manager
Giselle Andrea Raphaela
Stage Manager

MEDIA.

SPONSORS.