From left: Darrick Mosley and Kevin D. West in THE HIGHWAYMEN, directed by Jamil Jude (Photo by Scott Pakudaitis).
Plays
LEFTOVERS
Jalil and Kwamaine just want their family to be “Cosby Show happy,” but that kind of life doesn’t seem to be in the cards—until an enormous dandelion sprouts in front of their South Philly home and wishes start falling from the sky. Seizing the possibility of no longer feeling like the city's leftovers, the brothers begin to dream their way out of the cycle of poverty that has governed their lives, and find themselves on an adventure they never could have imagined.
* World Premiere- Company One Theatre/ 2017-18 Season.
SALT PEPPER KETCHUP
In a gentrifying neighborhood in South Philadelphia, where the popular cuisine is chicken wings and fried rice, a new health foods co-op sparks tensions between residents. Mr. Wu, the owner of Superstar Chinese Take-Out, fights to keep his store and "American Dream" at all costs. This political drama explores how food has come to define what we see as community and culture in an ever-evolving city.
*World Premiere- InterAct Theatre Company/Passage Theatre Company 2018-2019 Season
THE HIGHWAYMEN
In the late 1950's the officials of City of St. Paul and the State of Minnesota made a decision to bring I-94 right through the heart of the African-American community known as Rondo. The Highwaymen explores the dynamics surrounding the decision-making progress that would affect the lives of thousands of middle class residents and change the face of St.Paul.
*World Premiere- The History Theatre/ 2016-2017 Season.
"Wilder's 100-minute one-act play is a requiem for the homes, institutions and gathering places upended by the construction. It also is a valentine to the bifurcated neighborhood, offering Rondo as whole and wholesome."- Star Tribune
From left: Heather Gibson, Moriamo Temidayo Akibu, and Alicia Grace in SHE A GEM. (Photo by Yassine El Mansouri)
SHE A GEM
Krystin, Jaleesa, and Amber form a double-dutch team in inner city Philadelphia to compete in their neighborhood pageant. If they win, they’ll receive a special prize: their futures told by Ms. Mary, the local psychic. Will they become a famous singer? A hair dresser? Or maybe a “gem,” a special leader who cares for the neighborhood? Then they meet a pregnant teen from North Philly who can jump double-dutch almost better than any of them. Just as the girls anticipate learning about their futures, they’ll learn something important about her past that affects them all.
*World Premiere- The Kennedy Center/ 2018-2019 Theater for Young Audiences Season
WRONG RIVER
As the water crisis in Flint, Michigan begins to make national headlines, a young couple struggling to make ends meet scrambles to fight for a better future for their daughter–– even if it means losing everything they have.
*World Premiere- Flint Repetory Theatre/ 2022 Season.
Curtis Morlaye and Jade Radford in WRONG RIVER at Flint Repertory Theatre.. Photo by Mike Naddeo
MARTY AND THE HANDS THAT COULD
Released from prison on the eve of his 25th birthday, Marty returns home to his family in South Philly, equipped with a handwritten manuscript and big dreams to turn his life around. But his cousin Junior has also come home with problems of his own, setting them on a collision course as they struggle to break free of the curse that has haunted their family for generations. Can Marty put his hands to good use, or is his fate already written?
*World Premiere- Watts Village Theater/WACO Theater Center/ 2023 season.
“…there’s no room to look away or retreat in playwright Josh Wilder’s deep and wide exploration of Black generational trauma. Listening to how the characters communicate with each other in the first five minutes jolts you to attention.”- Afro LA News
Matthew Elam in MARTY AND THE HANDS THAT COULD. Photo by Matthew Parham