Drama

On Sugarland: A Play

An excerpt and annotation

Aleshea Harris
abstract image of white line through purple gradient towards orange at the bottom
Dominic Alves / Creative Commons

Aleshea Harris’s plays often explore the intricacies of relationships between women. Audiences come to understand the nuances of each character’s personality by observing her in conversation with other women, from mothers and sisters to rivals and mentors. On the page, characters’ affects are also illustrated by Harris’s use of innovative typography; an admonishment might be rendered in large typeface, while a whispered admission might waft down the page in tiny letters. Her new play, On Sugarland, excavates an intergenerational relationship between preadolescent Sadie and her aunt, Odella. For this special issue, we asked Harris to share snippets from the work, annotated with her thoughts on character formation, scene setting, and typographical experimentation.
The Editors

Click here to read excerpts from On Sugarland with Aleshea Harris's annotations.

Aleshea Harris is a playwright whose Is God Is won the Relentless Award, an Obie award, and the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award. What to Send Up... was featured in American Theatre Magazine and won a Special Commendation from the 2020 Blackburn Prize.
Originally published:
December 1, 2020

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