The backdrop of Alice Childress’s play, Wine in the Wilderness, which opened at Canadian Stage‘s Berkeley Street Theatre, is the Harlem race riots in 1964. Sparked by the shooting of an unarmed 15-year-old African American boy by a white police officer, the riots were a manifestation of African American sentiment about injustice and prejudice against Blacks. Decades later, nothing seems to have changed. Directed by Jordan Laffrenier, Childress’s 1969 play, which takes place during the course of a single night, focuses on a male artist who is creating a triptych of Black women.
Painter Bill Jameson has finished two paintings for his triptych, but needs a model for the third painting of a “messed up” “uneducated” “ignorant” Black woman representing the worst of what society has done to Black women. His friends, Cynthia, a social worker, and Sonny-Man, meet a young woman, Tommy, in a bar and convince her to pose for the third painting. Tommy’s apartment has almost been destroyed in the riots and she is wearing some old, uncoordinated clothing and a wig as the police prevented her from accessing her good clothes in her apartment.
Bill’s first portrait features an innocent-looking Black female child. For his second portrait, Bill has created an impossibly beautiful Black woman whom he calls “Wine in the Wilderness” since she represents a sought-after delicacy found in a harsh, cruel society. Bill’s unrealistic idealization – he says “this is what a woman ought to be” – reflects his impossibly high standards of Black womanhood, as well as a notable fetishization (“her thighs are African mahogany”) of Black women. Bill does have some serious issues related to Black women. He projects a condescending stereotype onto Tommy when he observes that “they always have their mind on food”. This comment reduces Black women to a baser level. He also makes sweeping stereotypical statements such as “Black women don’t know how to be feminine,” revealing his misogynoir.
The stereotypical treatment of Tommy extends beyond the male characters. For example, the interaction between Cynthia and Tommy highlights Cynthia’s restrictive views on Black womanhood. Specifically, she advises Tommy that in order to attract a man, she should wear her hair natural. She also tells her that she’s too brash and should “listen more” and ask Bill his opinion.
Class assumptions raise their ugly head when Tommy meets Oldtimer. The first thing she asks him is what his real name is. Bill and his friends have never bothered to learn this older fellow’s name, presumably because he is uneducated. Her inquiry reflects her emotional intelligence, something Bill and his friends lack. Tommy later showcases this intelligence when she tells Bill that it shouldn’t matter what she wears since “what’s real is taking place on the inside”.
Bill is unprepared for Tommy’s big reveal when she removes her wig and changes into a seductive looking dress. She also surprises him with her in depth knowledge of the history of the Black elks organization, of which he is unfamiliar. Because she no longer looks or acts the part of the “messed up girl,” he asks her to put the wig back on so that he can force her back into a lower status for his artistic purposes.
There is a disturbing discussion about the “N-word” when Bill reveals that his fifth grade teacher taught him the term meant a low, degraded, uneducated person. It is only when he looks up the word in a dictionary that he learns its true meaning. Bill’s lack of knowledge in this case puts him on a more equal footing with Tommy.
Although Bill and his friends try to mold Tommy into their own idealized standards, Tommy asserts her agency as a Black woman by refusing to compromise her self-belief. This underscores the play’s central theme that only Black women should be able to define what it means to be a Black woman.
Scott Penner’s atmospheric set carries us back to the 60s with the decade’s fondness for orange and green patterned furniture, plastic-laminated kitchen sets, oversized hanging swag lamps and the reliable Frigidaire.
Virgilia Griffith commands the stage and brilliantly showcases Tommy’s growing level of awareness as she begins to understand Bill’s underlying motivation. Andrew Moodie brings charm, warmth, and a devilish sense of humour to his character, Oldtimer.
Mazin Elsadig captures Bill’s complexity perfectly, creating a realistic character who is passionately intent on pursuing his artistic ideals while blinded by his own prejudices.
Although written almost 60 years ago, the issues Wine in the Wilderness highlights are, sadly, still critical today. The play is a vital piece of theatre that masterfully explores how external perceptions shape personal identity. Witty with razor sharp truth, Wine in the Wilderness lands with the same force today as it did in 1969.
Wine in the Wilderness at Canadian Stage Berkeley Street Theatre is being performed until October 11, 2026. Runtime is 90 minutes with no intermission.
Tickets are $120 $100, $90, $80, $70, $60 and $45 and can be purchased online or at the Box Office. Berkeley Street Theatre is located at 26 Berkeley Street.
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