In this new play by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright James Ijames, four cousins meet at their grandmother’s house to pack her things because she is moving to a smaller senior condo and selling the house. It is in the Tidewater South, and this is the home they visited regularly and loved. Ironically, she is off on a vacation in Cancun but has left a list for them. Coming from Boston and Philadelphia, this gathering at the house triggers memories and secrets, which they recall and reveal to each other. It is a simple but strong play that is on the Philadelphia Theatre Company stage this Spring.
Ramona, Nicole, and Smitty arrive first. They look at the house’s contents, but mostly just banter about their own lives and the lives of others. Lots of the talk is about sex and they make many sexual jokes. Many were queer related jokes as Smitty is gay. They talk and talk and there is little action, even when the pizza is delivered by Nicole’s boyfriend, Donovan. At times, I felt like I was watching a tv comedy, where every third line was some sort of joke.
It was the underlying story of each that drew me in. Ramona (Heather Alicia Simms) is divorced, living in Boston with her daughter. She longs for family connection. Smitty (Brenson Thomas) had to hide his sexuality and when he came out, his father rejected him. Nicole (Jessica Johnson) needed to go away for college because she couldn’t deal with being around Micah, the fourth cousin, who they learned would be coming to the house to help with packing-up.
When Micah (Lindsay Smiling) does arrive, things get more complex as we learn of his life. He, like the others, is seeking connection, but is also seeking forgiveness. There is a nice respite in the second act when they sit down to a game of Monopoly (which they found amidst their grandmother’s stuff). But even the humor of those moments triggered recollections of their past together. We know there is friction between Micah and Nicole, and we learn what happened- a most sad event in their past.
. I enjoyed listening to these family stories but would have liked it much more if it didn’t seem to be working so hard for laughs. Nevertheless, it works! And while this is a comfortable middle-class Black family, Ijanes speak to us all, and through the skillful direction of Director Taibi Magar, this strong ensemble comes together beautifully as its stories are told.
“Wilderness Generation” by James Ijames at Philadelphia Theatre Co. at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19146, 215-985-0429 boxoffice@philatheatreco.org thru May 3, 2026
Philadelphia Theater Reviews by Frank Burd 