We don’t really know where we are in Good Bones, the provocative new drama from James Ijames (the Pulitzer Prize–winning and Tony-nominated Fat Ham). We could be in New York, since we’re at the Public Theater. We could be in Washington, D.C., home to the Studio Theatre, which commissioned and first produced Good Bones in 2023. We could be in Philadelphia, where the playwright resides. All we know is we’re in a sprawling townhouse—one of those homes that people pay a fortune to restore to their former glory—in, as he says in the script, “a slowly gentrifying section of a city, that is also slowly gentrifying. We are in the gray moment before the change really speeds up.”
Travis (Mamoudou Athie) and Aisha (This Is Us star Susan Kelechi Watson, a memorable Madam Ford in Jocelyn Bioh’s wonderful Merry Wives at the Delacorte Theater in 2021) are the young married homeowners. He’s about to open a restaurant, Pepper Pot, where they serve such dishes as tenderized chicken gristle and oxtail on cornbread (“We take the standards and make them sing,” he says); she’s working on a massive project that involves meetings about “community liaison training” and “relocation resources”; they’re finishing up the renovation, and need to decide on cabinet hardware (eventually, they make the right choice); and they’re trying to have a baby. “Did you know that a spoonful of honey and cinnamon every day can help increase fertility?” Aisha asks Travis. She does—because Travis’ mom called and told her. Travis, meanwhile, has an ovulation tracker on his phone… which would be creepy if he weren’t so wide-eyed and nerdy.
Turns out Aisha grew up in the neighborhood, where their contractor, Earl (Khris Davis, most recently a powerhouse Biff in Death of a Salesman with Wendell Pierce), still lives. Their views of Dunbar Gardens couldn’t be more different. “When I left I didn’t think I would ever come back. But. Now I’m here and it’s trippy. Whenever I pass those housing projects … I don’t know … the little girl that grew up in those projects just wants to heal that place,” Aisha says. “I know what you mean. That’s why I never left,” Earl replies.
There’s also the matter of the noises that Aisha keeps hearing—steps on the staircase, laughter from the walls. Earl knows, and understands: “Keep listening. They’ll make it clear.” Is it the ghost of Sister Bernice, who used to live in the house? Her family owned the theater where he saw Dru Hill and Aisha saw TLC; it’s now a Whole Foods.
House vs. community. Restoration vs. demolition. Ijames delves into fascinating topics, and Watson and Davis bring passion and fire to their characters’ respective sides. Aisha’s job is overseeing the opening of a massive new sports complex. “I help develop partnerships with communities. Most people don’t see the benefits of these kinds of projects so I sort of help the franchise speak the language of the community,” she explains in marketing-speak. Earl translates: “You’re essentially tearing down people’s home.”
Aisha looks at the big picture, and imagines that the neighborhood that will be revitalized; Earl looks closer and sees the people and businesses that will be displaced. Again—fascinating. And worth more than 105 minutes. These characters have so much more to say.
Good Bones opened Oct. 1, 2024, at the Public Theater and runs through Oct. 27. Tickets and information: publictheater.org
