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THIS BITTER EARTH
Project type
Theatre Performance
Date
June 18 - 20, 2026
Sicaru Coffee Roasters
Fayetteville, AR
Play Synopsis
At the Million Hoodie March in 2012, Jesse, a young black man, encounters Neil, a young white man who has unwittingly found himself at the front of the crowd with a megaphone in his hand. Flash forward several weeks, and Jesse and Neil have begun dating. But as the months pass and Neill works his way further into the world of activism, Jesse never enters it. Over the years, Jesse and Neil negotiate the complex “firsts” of their relationship against a backdrop of political demonstrations and discord. With history unfolding around them every day, Jesse and Neil must contend with the fact that, no matter their response to social turmoil, they cannot remain untouched by it.
Creative Vision
This Bitter Earth by Harrison David Rivers is a deeply personal and emotionally charged drama examining love, race, activism, and identity through the evolving relationship of two men navigating an increasingly divided world. The production sought to create an intimate theatrical experience that invited audiences into difficult yet necessary conversations while centering nuanced performances and thoughtful artistic collaboration.
OUR PARTNERSHIP
Studio On The Block served as the project's producing partner from early development through public performance, providing comprehensive operational leadership that transformed an artistic vision into a fully realized production. Trey Smith approached us with this project and, rather than leading the artistic direction, our role focused on developing the organizational systems. We identified local performers and creatives to join the project. Working in close collaboration all the artists, we developed the project's production strategy, established timelines, coordinated budgeting, managed venue logistics, supported contracting and vendor relationships, organized rehearsals, and oversaw the countless administrative details required throughout the production process.
Beyond production management, Studio On The Block led the project's public-facing strategy by developing its visual identity, coordinating marketing initiatives, supporting press outreach, assisting with audience engagement efforts, and strengthening community partnerships that expanded the production's reach beyond the stage itself. Throughout every phase of the process, our role remained consistent: building the organizational infrastructure surrounding the project so the artists could devote their energy to creating exceptional work.
IMPACT
This Bitter Earth represents Studio On The Block's most comprehensive producing partnership to date, demonstrating the breadth of services we provide as a creative operations organization. The project highlighted our ability to integrate strategic planning, organizational leadership, production management, marketing, and community engagement into a cohesive producing model that empowers artists while strengthening the overall impact of their work. It stands as an example of how intentional collaboration can transform complex creative projects into meaningful artistic experiences.
