Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames is bringing his latest work to Philadelphia audiences with the world premiere of “Wilderness Generation,” a family drama that examines the bonds between cousins and what happens when family centers no longer hold.
The play starts on April 10, with the run ending on May 3 at Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre.
Biblical Origins and Generational Questions
The play’s title takes its cue from biblical sources, as Ijames explained: “The title is biblical in its origin. It’s a reference to the children born in the wilderness in the book of Exodus.”
He views the generations following the Civil Rights Movement through this lens, saying “I’m thinking of the generations born in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement. I’m curious about how we are doing and where we are going.”
The concept was further sparked by a December 2023 Atlantic magazine article titled “The Great Cousin Decline,” which explored how shrinking families mean fewer cousin relationships.
This reality contrasts sharply with Ijames’ own experience – he would need more than his fingers and toes to count all the people he considers cousins, including five first cousins and descendants of his grandmother’s five siblings.
Plot Centers on Absent Grandmother’s Plan
“Wilderness Generation” tells the story of four cousins summoned to their grandmother’s Tidewater South home, only to discover she isn’t there when they arrive. Instead, she leaves them a note with tasks to complete. “She gives them tasks to complete, so those things start to put them in a relationship,” Ijames said.
The inspiration comes from a personal place for Ijames, whose 90-year-old grandmother, Sherleen Williams – the centerpiece of the family – no longer cooks the family’s traditional Christmas meals.
“Everyone comes and makes the food and she’s just there,” Ijames explained. “We gather around her house. The house is very central,” as is his grandmother, who remains “still very vibrant.”
The cousins represent different generations and backgrounds within the family. “One of the cousins is gay, and we see him continuing to navigate a family that has accepted him but perhaps doesn’t totally know him,” Ijames noted.
“Another cousin is a survivor of sexual assault at the hand of an older family member, and she spends the play trying to exorcise the memory of that trauma.”
Addressing Modern Isolation Through Family Bonds
The playwright sees his work as offering solutions to contemporary loneliness. “You are not alone,” he emphasized. “If you feel alone, you have tools available to try to repair that. I want to remind people that they have access to that kinship of cousins, whether related or not.”
Sometimes, reconnection requires putting in the work and effort, Ijames acknowledged. “Sometimes, it starts with an apology. Sometimes, it’s having a difficult conversation. Sometimes, it’s putting yourself out there and knowing you might get hurt, and knowing you might be embarrassed, but that’s the risk of living with other people.”
Creative Team and Philadelphia Connections
When the theater initially approached Ijames about staging one of his existing plays, he instead offered them the first opportunity to premiere “Wilderness Generation.” Obie Award winner Taibi Magar will direct the production, collaborating with Philadelphia Theatre Company co-artistic directors including Tyler Dobrowsky.
Magar jumped at the opportunity, describing Ijames as “generous, quick and smart” as a playwright.
Ijames maintains strong links with Philadelphia, having earned his master’s degree in fine arts from Temple University and previously serving as co-artistic director at the Wilma Theater. His play, Fat Ham, a queer reimagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, landed him the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama while he was at the Wilma.
Humor Rooted in Southern Queer Experience
Despite tackling serious themes of family trauma and generational healing, the play maintains Ijames’ characteristic humor. “It’s a play that has a particularly delightful sense of humor that is deeply rooted in my own queer identity,” he said. “When you’re young and you’re gay in the South, you learn how to be funny or tough. I’m tough, and I’ve learned to be very funny.”
For LGBTQ+ audiences specifically, Ijames hopes they will “find humor and catharsis in the story.” He believes queer people will particularly connect with the play’s approach to navigating family acceptance and understanding.
Message of Connection Over Crisis
While current political tensions could influence the work’s reception, Ijames said contemporary events don’t directly inform the story. “I think the questions I’m considering are about how we hold ourselves together. Now, I believe that coming together, collectivity, mutual aid and community are the antidote to the current crisis,” he explained.
The playwright’s broader message extends beyond family relationships. “We have been convinced that we must do life alone, that we are alone, and that’s just not true,” he said. “You are not isolated. There is someone who wishes you well; there is someone who’s glad you’re alive, even if you don’t know it or believe it.”
Performance Details and Tickets
Theater goers can watch preview performances from April 10 onwards, with the official opening night scheduled for April 15. The production continues through May 3 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, located at 480 South Broad Street in Philadelphia.
Tickets and additional information are available through Philadelphia Theatre Company’s website.
For Lower Bucks County residents, the theater is easily accessible via public transportation or driving into Center City Philadelphia, offering local audiences the opportunity to experience this world premiere before it potentially moves to other venues.
Image sourced from Google Maps
