“The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam! That’s the best of all! ‘A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou beside me singing in the wilderness,’” says seventeen-year old Richard, defending his choice of literature to his parents.
Richard's letters to the love of his life, Muriel, contain quotes from Khayam and Swinburne. Muriel’s father finds these letters offensive and forbids Richard to see his daughter again. Heartbroken, Richard goes on a bender and almost falls under the influence of Belle. Is Richard going to turn into his Uncle Sid, or can he be brought back to his senses? This large-cast play takes place during the July 4th weekend in 1906 in a small Connecticut town.
Eugene O’Neill’s (1888-1953) only comedy, AH, WILDERNESS! offers a gentle portrait of family values and teenage growing pains. This is the life O’Neill wished he’d had. LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, earning O’Neill’s his fourth Pulitzer Prize, is based on the real-life tragedy of his past.
When AH, WILDERNESS! premiered on Broadway in 1933, George M. Cohan portrayed Nat Miller, Richard’s father. When it went on the road, Will Rogers took on the role.