It begins with a bang.
The sounds of gunshots and shouting ring out through the theatre as Alice Childress’s Wine in the Wilderness starts its journey. It’s 1964, and this is one of the worst riots Harlem has ever seen. An artist sits alone in his studio, observing the chaos outside his window. But when the rioting begins to enter his apartment, his life will be irrevocably changed. Directed by Jordan Laffrenier, and featuring some of the most stellar design and performances we’ve seen in a while, Wine in the Wilderness is a thought-provoking start to Canadian Stage’s season.
Photos by Dahlia Katz
Set & Costume Design by Scott Penner
Lighting Design by Daniel Bennett
Bill listens to the riot outside his window as he sketches. He’s creating a triptych, a series of three paintings to be shown together. He calls them “Wine in the Wilderness” and they represent his take on the Black woman: innocence, perfection, and shambles. He just needs someone to sit for the final section, and his friends Sonny-Man and Cynthia think they’ve found just the gal. But Tommy is so much more than any of them could have bargained for, and in just one night she’s able to change their lives forever.
Photos by Dahlia Katz
Set & Costume Design by Scott Penner
Lighting Design by Daniel Bennett
Wine in the Wilderness is certainly not one of Childress’s more well-known texts, yet after seeing this production it made me wonder why. Perhaps it was a little too contemporary; having been written in 1969 and taking place just five years prior, maybe too many of those old wounds were still open. It felt very of its time, using the right slang and giving that anarchist feel to some of its characters. Where she loses me, though, is right at the end. Bill has been spouting misogyny throughout the play, and has been entirely untruthful with Tommy about why his friends brought her to meet him. For him to suddenly have such a massive change of heart, a full 180, just from one impassioned speech from Tommy seems difficult for me to wrap my head around. I know that it gives the play the sweet ending it deserves, but I feel like Bill should have had to work harder for that conclusion. There are no signs throughout the play that his feelings are changing or that Tommy is having this effect on him, so his proclamations at the end seem totally out of left field. Yet, that speech Tommy gives (and which Virgilia Griffith delivers masterfully) made me want to applaud; she calls all of them out on their bullshit and with such dexterity you’d think she was the scholar in the room. I love Childress’s championing of this character – it gives me a sense of hope that we’re all going to be alright.
Photos by Dahlia Katz
Set & Costume Design by Scott Penner
Lighting Design by Daniel Bennett
Scott Penner’s set brings to life the Hollywood ideal of a 60’s New York artist’s studio. The set design is full of impressive detail which makes a slow walk past the stage on your way out worth the time. From the bare walls to the structures to hold his paintings, to the books scattered all over the floor, this is exactly the kind of apartment we’re told a NYC artist lives in. Penner’s costumes likewise tell the story of their time: from Black Panther leathers to sweet skirts and sweaters, their clothes are just as vibrant as they are.
Photos by Dahlia Katz
Set & Costume Design by Scott Penner
Lighting Design by Daniel Bennett
Virgilia Griffith gives a career-defining performance as Tommy; going from shy to powerful over the course of a single day, Griffith gives her all in this role and you can feel her stand in her power for that final monologue. Mazin Elsadig’s Bill didn’t entice me as much as he did Tommy, and as previously mentioned his character’s sudden change felt strange. Andrew Moodie shines, as always, as Oldtimer. He has such a vivacity and charisma to him, that you can’t help but watch him when he’s on stage. Jamar Adams-Thompson likewise brings a brightness and life to the stage as Sonny-Man. However, L.A. Sweeney’s Cynthia feels robotic and cold, the total opposite to Sonny-Man and the rest of the cast. While I know this portrayal of a highly educated woman was meant as a foil to Tommy’s naivete, this particular choice fell flat for me.
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, A Loaf of Bread—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!
This is the poem which Bill has named his triptych after, the ideal from which he is bringing forth this art. Yet he reads so much into these four lines, that he’s unable to see the beauty of the world in front of him, and is that not completely the opposite of what Omar Khayaam is talking about in this poem? It’s the simplicities of life: good food, good literature, and companionship, which make it all worth living. I only hope that Bill genuinely does come to this realization in a more profound way than Childress shows us in this text.
Wine in the Wilderness runs at the Berkeley Street Theatre until October 11. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.canadianstage.com/shows-events/season/wine-in-the-wilderness
Omar Khayaam’s poem found here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50325/rubaiyat-a-book-of-verses-underneath-the-bough
Cover Photo: L-R: Andrew Moodie, Virgilia Griffith, Mazin Elsadig, L.A. Sweeney, and Jamar Adams-Thompson
Photos by Dahlia Katz
Set & Costume Design by Scott Penner
Lighting Design by Daniel Bennett
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