Art is Isaac

by Selah DeGering

In the year of our Lord 2025, Ari, Nora, and Luther share an LA apartment. They have a groove: Luther cooks and cleans, Nora pays for everything, and Ari paints. When Luther starts pressuring Ari for a more committed relationship, however, the already tenuous balance begins to sway and crumble.
Art is Isaac is a rolling conversation about a Jew, a (ex?) Mormon, and a Baptist navigating what it means to be "a...

In the year of our Lord 2025, Ari, Nora, and Luther share an LA apartment. They have a groove: Luther cooks and cleans, Nora pays for everything, and Ari paints. When Luther starts pressuring Ari for a more committed relationship, however, the already tenuous balance begins to sway and crumble.
Art is Isaac is a rolling conversation about a Jew, a (ex?) Mormon, and a Baptist navigating what it means to be "a true artist". Can one profess to be a disciple of traditional religion when art is God? If you worship art as a true devotee, is there room for community? Relationships? Stability? And if you're not an artist after a lifetime of sacrifices in the name of the craft, who are you?
A theological drama over the backdrop of a messy, heathen queer platonic nightmare.

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Art is Isaac

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation: Art is Isaac by Selah DeGering
    “

    The community of National Committee readers for the 47th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced Art Is Isaac as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We found the pacing and nuanced characterization in this piece to be compelling. The play’s take on timeless themes–the sacrifices made for art–was fresh and contemporary. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production.

    The community of National Committee readers for the 47th Bay Area Playwrights Festival advanced Art Is Isaac as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We found the pacing and nuanced characterization in this piece to be compelling. The play’s take on timeless themes–the sacrifices made for art–was fresh and contemporary. We hope this play is considered for further development and investigation, and finds dedicated collaborators in this play’s journey towards production.

    ”

Character Information

1 man, 1 woman, 1 NB person
or
2 men, 1 woman
  • Ari
    Man or NB. Passionate, childish, fundamentally kind and foundationally
    self-absorbed. Jewish. An abstract painter.
    Young Adult
    Jewish
    Man or masc
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Nora
    Woman. Intense, forward thinking, assertive bordering on aggression. Ari’s other
    half and his downfall. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Alcoholic.
    Young Adult
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Luther
    Man. Responsible, caring. Burdened. A grounding force for Ari, but a somehow
    limiting one to Nora. Black, studying Fine Arts at UCLA.
    Young Adult
    African American/Black
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Louise
    Woman. Bubbly, earnest, well-meaning. Nora’s twin sister.
    Young Adult
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman