Ah, Wilderness!

Ah, Wilderness!

Ah, Wilderness!

October 14 – November 7, 2021

By Eugene O’Neill

Directed by Melia Bensussen

Eugene O’Neill’s only comedy, Ah, Wilderness!, is a play full of heart and wit that celebrates family and community. In 1906 Connecticut, a young man falls in love with poetry and a girl, and ends up with his heart broken. But with the help of others, he may yet find happiness. This play, which will feature live music, transforms a classic to reflect our contemporary moment and expand our vision of what family and community can mean.

View the Playbill

Please click PAST EVENTS from the menu to view the program.

Important Info

Approximate Running Time
2 hours, 10 minutes, with one intermission

Recommended Age
12+

Warnings
None

Watch Scene and Heard: LIVE!

Covid-19 Policy

Ticket Prices

$100 | $75 | $50 | $30

Includes all fees. Prices subject to change without notice.
All Regular Season Student Seats $20.

Important Dates

  • October 14-20: Previews (what’s this?)
  • October 22: Opening Night
  • Sunday, October 31 at 2pm: Open Captioned Performance
  • Saturday, November 6 at 2pm: Audio Described Performance

Preview Performances

Previews are the first week of a show. The director may still be making adjustments to the performance.

Open Captioned Performances

For patrons who are deaf or have hearing loss. FREE with admission.

Photos

The cast of 'Ah, Wilderness!'Michael Boatman and Jaevon WilliamsMcCaleb Burnett and Myles LowThe cast of 'Ah, Wilderness!'Jaevon Williams and Brittany Anikka LiuMyles Low and Antoinette LaVecchiaL-R: Antoinette LaVecchia, McCaleb Burnett and Natascia DiazMichael Boatman and McCaleb BurnettL-R: Katerina McCrimmon, Jaevon Williams and McCaleb BurnettJaevon Williams and Brittany Anikka LiuJaevon Williams and Brittany Anikka LiuL-R: Jaevon Williams, Antoinette LaVecchia and Michael BoatmanAntoinette LaVecchia and Michael Boatman

All photos by T. Charles Erickson.

Related Events

AfterWords Discussion

October 26 and October 27 matinee

Join members of the cast and our Artistic staff for a free discussion, immediately following select 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday or 2:00 pm Wednesday matinees. FREE

October 24

Speaker TBD. Immediately following the 2:00 pm Matinee. FREE.

Saturday Afternoon Scholar Discussion on Eugene O’Neill

November 6 | Immediately following the 2:00 pm Matinee. FREE.

Join two Eugene O’Neill Scholars and members of the Eugene O’Neill Society, Beth Wynstra and Steven F. Bloom, for an in-depth discussion with Artistic Director Melia Bensussen on Nobel Prize and four-time Pulitzer-prize winning playwright, Eugene O’Neill. The discussion will center around the notions of home, alcohol and marriage in O’Neill’s work and how this production and adaptation of Ah, Wilderness! highlights some of O’Neill’s more optimistic tendencies.

Beth Wynstra is an Associate Professor of English at Babson College. She holds a Ph.D. in Theater Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a certificate in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. Beth has written extensively on the life and plays of Eugene O’Neill, has served as dramaturg for productions of O’Neill’s plays, and is a member of the board for the Eugene O’Neill International Society. Her forthcoming book connects culturally constructed and early 20th century expectations for marriage to the experiences of O’Neill’s wife characters. Beth regularly directs plays and musicals at Babson and is the Founding Artistic Director of The Empty Space Theater. In 2019 Beth won the Dean’s Award for Teaching at Babson as well as the PRIDE award for significant contributions increating a community that values, supports, and celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals and allies.

Steven F. Bloom is the author of the Student Companion to Eugene O’Neill (2007) and the editor of Critical Insights: Eugene O’Neill (2013). He has published many articles and reviews on O’Neill and has spoken frequently at Boston-area theatres and other forums. Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eugene O’Neill Society (having served as Vice President, President, and Board Chairman), and was awarded the Society’s Eugene O’Neill Medallion in 2017. He earned his Ph.D. (and M.A.) in English and American Literature from Brandeis University and his B.A. in English from the University of Rochester. Steve is Professor Emeritus, English, at Lasell University in Newton, where he was Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs when he retired in June 2020.

Cast

Joseph Adams

David McComber / Salesman
Joseph Adams*

Michael Boatman

Nat Miller
Michael Boatman*

Annie Jean Buckley

Norah
Annie Jean Buckley

McCaleb Burnett

Sid Davis
McCaleb Burnett*

Natascia Diaz

Lily Miller
Natascia Diaz*

Antonio Jose Jeffries

Arthur Miller
Antonio Jose Jeffries*

Tanner Jones

Wint Selby
Tanner Jones

Antoinette LaVecchia

Essie Miller
Antoinette LaVecchia*

Brittany Anikka Liu

Muriel McComber / Belle
Brittany Anikka Liu*

Myles Low

Tommy Miller
Myles Low

Katerina McCrimmon

Mildred Miller
Katerina McCrimmon*

Stuart Rider

Bartender
Stuart Rider*

Jaevon Williams

Richard Miller
Jaevon Williams*

*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

ARTISTIC

Playwright
Eugene O’Neill

Director
Melia Bensussen

Scenic Design
Jim Noone

Costume Design
Olivera Gajic

Lighting Design
Wen-Ling Liao

Sound Design
Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen

Music Director / Pianist
Yan Li

Wig, Hair & Makeup Design
J. Jared Janas

Fight Choreographer
Ted Hewlett

Casting
Alaine Aldaffer

Vocal Coach
Robert H. Davis

Stage Manager
Lori Lundquist

Assistant Stage Manager
Nicole Wiegert

Associate Director
Zoë Golub-Sass

Assistant Lighting Designer
Justin Beets

Sponsors

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