The Donald Windham Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (2020) Winner
Aleshea Harris
アリーシャ・ハリス
Aleshea Harris
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Lived in multiple locations, mostly in the Southern United States (as an army child)
Career
- Occupations
- Playwright, Spoken word artist, Writer, Educator, Actor, Screenwriter, Performer
- Active Years
- 2010-
- Nominations
- Two-time finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern Mississippi | — | — | BA | — | United States |
| California Institute of the Arts | — | — | MFA | — | United States |
University of Southern Mississippi
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
California Institute of the Arts
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
While at CalArts she participated in a student collective that staged plays and readings
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Relentless Award (American Playwriting Foundation) | Is God Is | — | American Playwriting Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2018 | Obie Awards | Is God Is | — | Obie Awards | 受賞（演劇、演出、パフォーマンスの計3部門） |
| 2019 | Helen Merrill Award | — | — | The New York Community Trust (Helen Merrill Award) | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Windham–Campbell Literature Prize | — | — | Windham–Campbell Prizes | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Finalist) | On Sugarland | — | Pulitzer Prizes | 最終候補 |
| — | MacDowell Fellowship | — | — | MacDowell | フェロー（複数回） |
Relentless Award (American Playwriting Foundation)
2016
Work:
Is God Is
Organization:
American Playwriting Foundation
Result:
受賞
Obie Awards
2018
Work:
Is God Is
Organization:
Obie Awards
Result:
受賞（演劇、演出、パフォーマンスの計3部門）
Helen Merrill Award
2019
Organization:
The New York Community Trust (Helen Merrill Award)
Result:
受賞
Windham–Campbell Literature Prize
2020
Organization:
Windham–Campbell Prizes
Result:
受賞
Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Finalist)
2023
Work:
On Sugarland
Organization:
Pulitzer Prizes
Result:
最終候補
MacDowell Fellowship
Organization:
MacDowell
Result:
フェロー（複数回）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Is God Is
2016 Theatre, DramaTells the story of twin sisters on a journey of revenge; a visceral, stylistically bold play that interrogates violence, family, and justice within Black American experience.
RevengeFamilyViolenceJustice
Adaptations
- [Film] Is God Is (film) / Aleshea Harris (2026)
What to Send Up When It Goes Down
2016 Theatre, Performance ArtA pageant/ritual incorporating song, spoken word, and audience participation to honor Black lives lost to racial violence; structured as a communal ritual.
MourningCommunityRacial violenceRitual
On Sugarland
2022 Theatre, DramaA multilayered drama concerned with American society, memory, and personal trauma. Produced at New York Theatre Workshop in 2022 and a finalist for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
MemoryTraumaSocial critique
Bibliography
- Is God Is (play)
- What to Send Up When It Goes Down (play/performance)
- On Sugarland (play)
- Contributions to anthologies and short pieces (e.g. The BreakBeat Poets)
Adaptations
- Is God Is — film adaptation (directed by Aleshea Harris, distribution by Orion/Amazon MGM, scheduled 2026)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Rhythmic, experimental style incorporating spoken-word elementsRitualistic/pageant-like dramatic structuresStylish, image-driven writing with bold symbolism
- Recurring Motifs
- Black bodies and deathRevenge and justiceFamily and tiesRitual and mourning
Legacy
A playwright noted in contemporary American theatre for a powerful voice and experimental approach. Her works addressing Black experience and social violence have received critical acclaim and international productions, recognized by several awards and fellowships.
Trivia
- Has described herself as an army child and lived in multiple places, mostly in the Southern United States.
- Known for incorporating spoken-word elements into her plays.
- Plays have been produced in France and Belgium and toured internationally.
- Maintains a website (bagofbeans.net) referenced in public profiles.
- What to Send Up When It Goes Down received attention for its audience-participatory, ritualistic format.