INCENDIARY

by Dave Harris

Incendiary tells the journey of a Black single mother who is preparing to break her deathrow-bound son out of prison. She navigates the practical steps of planning her son's prison break, like purchasing guns, getting a personal trainer, and preparing her daughter for a lonely life ahead. A collision between the absurd and the tragic, Incendiary complicates topics like generational violence, heroism, and the...

Incendiary tells the journey of a Black single mother who is preparing to break her deathrow-bound son out of prison. She navigates the practical steps of planning her son's prison break, like purchasing guns, getting a personal trainer, and preparing her daughter for a lonely life ahead. A collision between the absurd and the tragic, Incendiary complicates topics like generational violence, heroism, and the gendered expectations of emotional labor in Black families.

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INCENDIARY

Recommended by

  • Anne-Liese Juge Fox: INCENDIARY by Dave Harris
    “

    I saw the end of the premiere production last night at Woolly Mammoth and love this play. It rides this edge of the absurd and the tragic. Its overt theatricality is delightful and slams you into difficult places that are as real as it gets.

    I saw the end of the premiere production last night at Woolly Mammoth and love this play. It rides this edge of the absurd and the tragic. Its overt theatricality is delightful and slams you into difficult places that are as real as it gets.

    ”
  • Deanie Vallone: INCENDIARY by Dave Harris
    “

    Playful, visceral, wholly engaging. I had the pleasure of seeing this play twice--once at UCSD and once at the Goodman Festival--and both times I was blown away. Its exploration of generational violence and trauma in a Black family was resonant, complex, and unexpected in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

    Playful, visceral, wholly engaging. I had the pleasure of seeing this play twice--once at UCSD and once at the Goodman Festival--and both times I was blown away. Its exploration of generational violence and trauma in a Black family was resonant, complex, and unexpected in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

    ”
  • Jacqueline Goldfinger: INCENDIARY by Dave Harris
    “

    I love this play. It's heartbreaking, shocking, and funny by turns. You'll fall in love with characters that you never even expected to even like, and feel the deep emotional toll that structural racism takes on a family - without the play ever being preachy or condescending. Someone needs to produce this play ASAP.

    I love this play. It's heartbreaking, shocking, and funny by turns. You'll fall in love with characters that you never even expected to even like, and feel the deep emotional toll that structural racism takes on a family - without the play ever being preachy or condescending. Someone needs to produce this play ASAP.

    ”
View all 4 recommendations

Development History

Production History

  • Workshop, Goodman Theater, 2019

Awards

  • Venturous Fellowship
    The Lark
    Winner
    2018