A new revival of Alice Childress' Wine in the Wilderness opened Off-Broadway March 24 at Classic Stage Company, and the reviews are in. See what critics are saying about the New York directorial debut of Tony winner LaChanze (The Color Purple) below.
The production is running through April 13 at the company's Lynn F. Angelson Theater.
Olivia Washington (I'm a Virgo, Slave Play) and Grantham Coleman (The Great Society, Rustin) star as, respectively, Tommy and Bill, joined by Brooks Brantly (Sweat, Ghosts) as Sonny-man, Lakisha Michelle May (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Skeleton Crew) as Cynthia, and Milton Craig Nealy (Caroline, or Change; Once on This Island) as Oldtimer. Casting is by X Casting's Victor Vazquez.
Set against the backdrop of the 1964 Harlem riot, Wine in the Wilderness follows artist Bill Jameson, whose friends have just introduced him to a model for the final piece of his triptych on Black womanhood. But this woman, Tomorrow Marie, is no mere muse, and she’s about to give Bill much more than he bargained for.
Read the reviews below.
New York Stage Review (Michael Sommers)
New York Theatre Guide (Gillian Russo)
The New York Times (Maya Phillips)*
Talkin' Broadway (James Wilson)
*This review may require creating a free account or paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
Director LaChanze starred in the 2021 Broadway premiere of the late Childress' Trouble in Mind, earning a Tony nomination for her performance. Her creative team for Wine in the Wilderness includes scenic designer Arnulfo Maldonado (Trouble in Mind), costume designer Dede Ayite (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding), lighting designer Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Kimberly Akimbo), sound designer Bill Toles (Kowalski), and wig/hair designer Nikiya Mathis (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding).
Jason Weixelman is the production stage manager.
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