CSC's Wine in the Wilderness, Starring Grantham Coleman and Olivia Washington, Extends Off-Broadway

Classic Stage Company's production of Alice Childress' Wine in the Wilderness, which marks the New York directorial debut of Tony winner LaChanze (The Color Purple), has extended its Off-Broadway run.

The production, which officially opened March 24 following previews that began March 6, was originally scheduled to run through April 13 at CSC’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater. Performances will now continue an additional week through April 19.

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.

Read the reviews for the production by clicking here.

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.

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).