Canadian Stage gets the 26.27 indoor season underway in September with the Canadian Premiere of Alice Childress’s WINE IN THE WILDERNESS, on stage September 19th to October 44h. 

Set against the backdrop of Harlem in 1964, painter Bill Jameson is putting the finishing touches on a portrait series about Black womanhood when Tommy arrives to model. But Tommy refuses to be anyone’s ideal—or anyone’s stereotype. As drinks flow and conversation loosens, the group is forced to confront their assumptions about beauty, class and identity. Funny, provocative and surprisingly tender, Alice Childress’s Wine in the Wilderness asks who gets to define us—and what happens when we take that power back.

By turns funny, intimate, and piercingly intelligent, WINE IN THE WILDERNESS is a landmark work from a pivotal and singular artist. Directed by Canadian Stage Associate Artistic Director Jordan Laffrenier, whose searing production of SLAVE PLAY was a critically acclaimed highlight of last season, the revival features Virgilia Griffith (Fat Ham/Canadian Stage), Mazin Elsadig (A Case For the Existence of God/Coal Mine), Andrew Moodie (Macbeth/Stratford), L.A. Sweeney (BUG/King Black Box) and Jamar Adams-Thompson (Julie, Icarus Theatre).

“Alice Childress is a remarkable writer and WINE IN THE WILDERNESS is an extraordinary play—smart, funny, surprising and deeply human,” says Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy. “We’re thrilled to be bringing this work to Toronto and to open our fall season with it. I’m also delighted to welcome Jordan Laffrenier back to our season following his thoughtful work on last year’s SLAVE PLAY. It’s a wonderful way to begin the season, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

Born in 1916 and raised during the Harlem Renaissance, Alice Childress grew up to become first an actress and then a playwright and novelist. A founding member of the American Negro Theatre, she wrote her first play, Florence, in 1949 and the play was produced off-Broadway in 1950. In 1952, Childress became the first African American woman to have a play (Gold Through The Trees) professionally produced in New York. In 1955, Childress’ play Trouble in Mind was a critical and popular success from the beginning of its run off-Broadway at the Greenwich Mews Theatre, and it immediately drew interest from producers for a Broadway transfer. 

The producers however requested changes to the script to make it more palatable to a commercial audience and Childress refused to comply - the play didn’t make it to Broadway until 2021 when Roundabout Theatre Company produced it at the American Airlines Theatre, receiving four Tony Award nominations. WINE IN THE WILDERNESS recently received a critically acclaimed production off-Broadway at New York’s Classic Theatre.

Joining Laffrenier on the creative team for the Toronto production are set and costume designer Scott Penner, lighting designer Daniel Bennett, sound designer Olivia Wheeler, intimacy director Anisa Tejpar and dialect coach Jane Gooderham.

WINE IN THE WILDERNESS runs September 19th to October 4th (Media night: September 24th) at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre (26 Berkeley Street). Performances take place Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30pm with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. Tickets are available beginning at $35 at www.canadianstage.com.