Flint Repertory Theatre returns with premiere of 'Wrong River'

FLINT, Michigan — Award-winning playwright Josh Wilder (Leftovers) and the Flint Repertory Theatre will premiere the play Wrong River, an emotional story told boldly through the vivid fantasies of a young girl living through the Flint Water Crisis.

Directed by Flint native Jeremiah Davison (Slow Jam), the play boasts an all-black ensemble featuring Nikyla Boxley, Henri Franklin (DPT’s Paradise Blue), Curt Morlaye, Madelyn Porter (The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The Moon Marigolds), Parris Sarter, and Jade Radford (Orange Is the New Black).
 
Beginning Feb. 4 through Feb. 20, performances will contain both matinee and evening shows. Tickets are able to be purchased now from $10 to $25 with group rates also available. Due to the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage, all Genesee County residents will receive a 30% discount.

With a venue resume consisting of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Alliance Theatre, and The New Victory Theatre, director Jeremiah Davison is the founder and producer of Georgia State University’s Plays in a Day 24-hour Annual Play Festival.
 
Hailing from Philadelphia, Wrong River’s playwright Josh Wilder created the play for the 2020 New Works Festival at The Repertory Theatre. Wilder currently lives in Los Angeles doing work with the next generation of emerging writers at The Playwright’s Workshop. He also serves as an artistic associate at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York.

“Wrong River follows the story of a young African-American couple in Flint fighting for a better future for their daughter as Flint’s water crisis begins to make national headlines. This edgy new drama features thrilling magical realism moments born from the imagination of a 10-year-old girl dealing with the effects of lead poisoning,” said Producing Artistic Director Michael Lluberes, who adds that The Rep is working with projection designer Alison Dobbins from MSU to bring the magical dreamscapes to life.
 
“We’re thrilled to present this extraordinary world-premiere play about Flint – in the city of Flint. Josh Wilder is a powerful new voice in American Theatre. It’s an honor to have him here,” said Lluberes.

Tickets can be purchased through The Whiting Ticket Center at (810) 237-7333 or online at: FlintRep.org