This Bitter Earth

'Look, you don't have to join the movement or whatever. You don't have to march or rally or call or write letters or even get fucking angry. I don't care about that. I don't. What I do care about is YOU.'

Jesse, an introspective Black playwright, finds his choices challenged when his boyfriend, Neil, a white Black Lives Matter activist, calls him out for his political apathy.

As passions and priorities collide, the two of them are forced to reckon with divisions of race and class, and the bravery it takes to love unconditionally.

Harrison David Rivers's play This Bitter Earth is an intimate, romantic and gripping drama that explores what it means to love outside the box. It premiered at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, San Francisco, in 2017. This edition was published alongside its production at Soho Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Billy Porter and starring Omari Douglas and Alexander Lincoln.

'Intimate and unflinching... a searing portrayal of a gay interracial couple caught in the crosshairs of race, romance and radical vulnerability... aching, exquisitely crafted intimacy... brave, bruising — and infinitely rewarding' — Attitude

'A moving two-hander about love, politics and privilege... quick wit and deep compassion... The writing is sharp, nuanced and highly playable... its many-stranded themes of race, class, sexual identity, art and activism are relevant and emotionally rousing... it has real resonance... funny, intellectually engaging and shot through with feeling... This life-embracing show may well move you to tears, but it also has the power to shift and heighten your thinking' — The Times

'A fresh and illuminating take on recent social and political history... powerfully raw' — Evening Standard

'A wild ride... white privilege and Black hurt, queer joy and rage, all shimmering around the simplest dialogue' — Guardian

'An emotional rollercoaster of a text... Rivers' play is important and unflinching in addressing issues of interracial relationships, class and queerness' — The Stage

'A thoughtful and emotionally charged piece of theatre... quiet but devastating' — WhatsOnStage

'A play full of profound moments and timely questions... an intense, analytical journey to the intersection of race and politics' — Chicago Tribune