From Stage to Screen: How Aleshea Harris Reimagined ‘Is God Is’
Adapting a stage play for the cinema is rarely a matter of simple translation. it is an act of reimagining. For Aleshea Harris, the transition of her work Is God Is from the theater to the screen required a fundamental shift in how story, language, and trauma are articulated. By trading the rhythmic repartee of the stage for the visual language of film, Harris has crafted a narrative that balances the brutality of vengeance with the unexpected levity of farce.
The Challenge of Cinematic Translation
As a self-described “theatre girlie,” Harris entered the filmmaking process with a steep learning curve. The primary challenge lay in understanding the distinct boundaries between the two mediums—specifically, what can be achieved on screen that is impossible on stage, and vice versa.
Harris noted that while she possesses a deep love for language, she recognized the danger of letting audiences get “lost in the music of too much language.” To combat this, she focused on the image, ensuring that the bodies and the environment lived and breathed independently of the dialogue. This shift allowed the story to evolve from a script driven by poetry and “weirdness” into a visual experience where the camera does the heavy lifting.
World-Building and Artistic Influences
To establish the specific “sensibility” of the film’s world, Harris looked toward filmmakers who excel at creating distinct, controlled environments. She cited the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? as a primary influence for its meticulous crafting of a specific world, particularly regarding color grading, music, and manner of speech.
Harris drew inspiration from the restraint of director Bong Joon Ho, specifically his film Mother. This influence manifested in how the camera interacts with the actors and the strategic use of takes to ensure the final edit could shape the story more dynamically than the original page allowed.
Casting the Core: Complexity and Contrast
The emotional weight of Is God Is rests on its central performances, particularly the relationship between the twin sisters, Racine and Anaia, played by Kara Young and Mallori Johnson. Harris describes the bond between the sisters as one of desperate necessity, where each sister affirms the other’s existence.
The narrative explores how these two women respond differently to trauma, a divergence that eventually leads to a heartbreaking separation. Harris highlights a specific moment of connection where Anaia, watching her sister burn inside a house, feels the physical sensation of the fire herself—a testament to their spiritual lockstep.
In a stark contrast to the sisters’ journey, Sterling K. Brown portrays the father. Harris intentionally cast Brown to leverage his public consciousness as a charming, upstanding figure. By presenting him as a “suburban dad” reminiscent of Barack Obama, Harris utilizes that inherent charm to create a sense of “creeping menace,” playing against type to make the character more formidable.
Navigating Trauma Through Farce and Symbolism
One of the most striking elements of Is God Is is its refusal to treat trauma with a “delicate hand.” Instead, Harris utilizes farce as a “safe, cozy” way to confront serious pain, allowing the story to be “fun” even in its darkest moments.
The depiction of violence was handled with a strategy influenced by ancient Greek tragedy, where the act of violence is often omitted from view, leaving the audience to see only the result. This approach was particularly important when depicting violence against Black women, ensuring the impact was felt without being exploitative.
Symbolism also plays a critical role, specifically through the use of braids. The long braids worn by the characters serve as a metaphor for the mother’s insistence on beauty despite her circumstances. The braiders who act as her aides serve as a narrative nod to the Furies and the Fates of mythology.
Breaking the Mold of the ‘Award-Winning’ Play
The creative confidence seen in Is God Is stemmed from Harris’s decision to stop writing for the approval of institutions. She reflects on a pivotal moment in her career where she abandoned the idea of writing the “kind of Black play that wins the award.”
By embracing the “dark corners” of her mind and her own sense of humor, Harris found freedom in the possibility of rejection. This liberation allowed her to experiment with typography and “wacky” narrative structures, ultimately leading to a work that feels authentic to her personal sensibilities rather than a set of industry expectations.
- Visual Shift: Harris moved from the language-heavy nature of theater to a cinema of images, focusing on how bodies are articulated on screen.
- Strategic Casting: Sterling K. Brown was cast to use his “charming” public persona to create a more menacing antagonist.
- Genre Blending: The film utilizes farce to make the exploration of serious trauma more accessible and engaging.
- Mythological Roots: The use of braids and aides serves as a symbolic reference to the Furies and the Fates.
- Creative Independence: The project succeeded by rejecting traditional expectations of “prestige” Black theater in favor of raw, personal expression.
Looking Forward
Is God Is stands as a testament to the power of creative autonomy. By treating the adaptation process as an opportunity to “fuck up” and experiment, Aleshea Harris has moved beyond the boundaries of the stage to create a cinematic work that is as intellectually rigorous as it is emotionally visceral. As the film reaches audiences, it challenges the conventions of how Black trauma and vengeance are portrayed on screen.