THIS WINTER AT THE PUBLIC: WELCOME TABLE
Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist James Ijames returns to The Public with a bold reimagining of the historic 1963 meeting between James Baldwin and Robert F. Kennedy, set in an afterlife where these iconic figures wrestle with their legacy. Directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, the World Premiere of WELCOME TABLE channels the fire of Baldwin’s call to action and reminds us that the struggle for justice continues to echo with striking urgency today.
Learn more: thepublic.nyc/WelcomeTable
Be among the first to see what’s coming to the stage.
The official teaser for Wilderness Generation has arrived—and it offers a glimpse into the humor, tension, and heart at the center of this powerful new play by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames.
Set over one unforgettable weekend, four cousins return to their family home in the Tidewater South. What unfolds is a story full of sharp wit, deep history, and moments that feel strikingly familiar.
🎟️philatheatreco.org/wilderness-generation/
Cast @brenthomas112@bkjamchild@abdulsesayjr@1ntrigue1908@el.smiling
By @jwijames
Directed by @taibsm
Scenic design by @mattsaunders2000
Costume design by @kurlyqkara
Lighting Design by @thomweaverdesign
Sound design by Christopher Darbassie
Hair and Makeup design by Kate Casalino
Fight Choreography by @everinmotley
Stage Management by
@laboyden320
Hey Blackboard fam!
If you’re in New York on Monday, April 6 at 7:30pm, we have a special FREE TICKET offer just for you! 🎟️
🙌🏾 Join us at @dramabookshop for an intimate conversation with #PulitzerPrize winning playwright @jwijames , presented in partnership with @playpenn in anticipation of the world premiere of his new play WILDERNESS GENERATION at Philadelphia Theatre Company @philatheatreco
James Ijames, best known for FAT HAM, will be joined by Nancy Boykin and Kimberly S. Fairbanks, with the conversation moderated by PlayPenn Artistic Director Che’Rae Adams.
👉🏾 Free tickets are available on our Patreon or in our latest newsletter. Click the link in our bio! 👆🏾
If free seats are gone, a $10 ticket 🎟️ 🔗 link is also on our website.
See you Monday! ✨
#jamesijames #freetickets #playpenn
🎭 Going deeper with Wilderness Generation
Join Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames and Philadelphia Poet Laureate Raina J. León for a special Artist Talk exploring Black literature, family stories, and the themes behind the play.
📅 April 2 | 6:30 PM
📍 Suzanne Roberts Theatre
✨ Free event. Limited seating—reserve your spot.
🔗 Link in bio
Are y’all ready? Got your tickets yet? Playwright James Ijames joins PlayPenn, Nancy Boykin, and Kimberly Fairbanks for a rare, can’t-miss conversation happening in two cities.
📍 March 30 — Philadelphia, Wilma Theater
📍 April 6 — NYC, The Drama Book Shop
If you love theatre, make theatre, study it, or just want to see how a play comes to life, this is your backstage pass into the mind and process of one of today’s most exciting voices.
This moment is historic for Philadelphia. Three major companies, Arden Theatre Company (Good Bones), Wilma Theater (Miz Martha), and Philadelphia Theatre Company (Wilderness Generation), are all presenting Ijames’s work in the same season. One playwright. Three stages.
Don’t miss your chance to experience it all and hear directly from the artist behind it.
🎟️ Get tickets now: /events
✨ Pay What You Want tickets available
🎓 @templetheaters , @templeu_fma and @templeuniv students attend for free
Presented with @ardentheatreco , @philatheatreco , @thewilmatheater , and @blackboardplays
We’re in The New York Times! 🧩
Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames is featured in today’s crossword—just as his newest world premiere, Wilderness Generation, takes the stage at Philadelphia Theatre Company on April 10.
One weekend. Four cousins. So much baggage.
Be part of the conversation.
🌲Meet the Playwright Behind Wilderness Generation:
Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright James Ijames wrote Wilderness Generation with one thing in mind: family.
In this new interview, James shares the inspiration behind the play and why this story of cousins, generations, and reconciliation felt especially important to write right now—for Philadelphia audiences.
“The heart of this play is how families can hold generations together across time. I hope families, after seeing the show, are compelled to reach out to their families… Philadelphia is a city that is learning about community and joy. I think this play happening right now makes a lot of sense.” — James Ijames
Hear directly from the creator of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Fat Ham about the story behind this powerful new play.
Wilderness Generation Named “Top Show to See This Spring” By The New York Times
This recognition places Philadelphia Theatre Company on a national stage — and confirms what we already know: this is a story audiences won’t want to miss.
If you already have tickets — congratulations. You’re already seeing one of the most recommended shows of the season.
Wilderness Generation will make its world premiere here at Philadelphia Theatre Company on April 10 – May 3, 2026. Secure your seats early!
Good theater moves you. Great theater changes you. I thought “Purpose” was my favorite play, and it was…until yesterday, when I saw “Good Bones” at @ardentheatreco . Why is your truth your truth? Why should it be everyone else’s truth? What does it take to accept you think you’re telling the truth, but know you’re lying to yourself? This is great theater @jwijames and I am changed….
It’s extended through March 22nd, but selling out nightly, so make a plan. Big up to the cast and director, who should be coming to an awards stage near you…
Now, to get to @thewilmatheater for “Miz Martha” and @philatheatreco for “Wilderness Generation” for the complete James Ijames festival experience this spring….
