About the Book
'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
About the Author :
Harrison David Rivers is an award-winning American playwright, librettist and television writer based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
His works include The Salvagers (Yale Rep), we are continuous (Diversionary, Uptown Players, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Geva Theatre Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival), the bandaged place (Roundabout), This Bitter Earth (Ball State University, Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, White Bear Theatre, Seattle Public, TheatreWorks Hartford, InterAct, The Road, Richmond Triangle Players, Theater Alliance, About Face, Penumbra, NCTC), and an adaptation of A Christmas Carol (Geva Theatre Center), among others, and the musicals We Shall Someday (formerly Broadbend, Arkansas) with Ted Shen (Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Theater Latté Da, Joe's Pub, Signature Theatre, The Studio Theatre Tierra Del Sol, Transport Group/Public Theater) and Last of the Red Hot Mamas with Sue and Lloyd Ecker (Bucks County Playhouse).
His television credits include One of Us Is Lying (Peacock), The Nevers (HBO) and Wytches (Amazon).
Review :
'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'
'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'
'A fresh and illuminating take on recent social and political history... powerfully raw'
'A wild ride... white privilege and Black hurt, queer joy and rage, all shimmering around the simplest dialogue'
'An emotional rollercoaster of a text... Rivers' play is important and unflinching in addressing issues of interracial relationships, class and queerness'
'A thoughtful and emotionally charged piece of theatre... quiet but devastating'
'A play full of profound moments and timely questions… an intense, analytical journey to the intersection of race and politics'
'A refreshingly empathetic and nuanced take on a hard-hitting topic, which will speak to audience members of all backgrounds... a bold and timely play'
'Raw and gripping... the true genius of Rivers' writing shines through... a wonderful play'
'Wonderfully written... Played out in close-up frame and in wide feeling, poetic lines shine through in a brilliantly grounded script'
'Powerful and compelling... deeply human... a captivating love story'
'A love story, one that feels remarkably true to life, told with brutal honesty'
