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Ah, fall. Sure, colder days mean the end to lying on the beach and dining outside while the sun sets, but the end of summer also means the beginning of the new theatre season, which lights up playhouses throughout the city. One of my favorite Avenue of the Arts theaters, The Wilma, is opening its 10th season with Coming Home, the third-ever production of the latest play by Athol Fugard, called “the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world” by TIME Magazine.

Coming Home, the fourth Fugard play that The Wilma is producing, tells the story of a young South African woman who returns home to her beloved grandfather’s farm after having her dreams shattered – years ago she had gone to Cape Town with grand aspirations of becoming a cabaret singer. Now she is a broken woman with a painful secret, but she is buoyed by undying optimism and the hope of a better life for her son. Fugard himself has called The Wilma “brave and courageous,” and his vision of theatre as both an educator and an entertainer jives perfectly with theirs.

While dealing with some harsh realities of South Africa, the play also takes a very hopeful view of the country’s future. The Wilma has assembled a stellar group of actors and designers for the moving production, and also arranged a coinciding lecture symposium. Check out their website for more details as well as tickets. If you’re lucky enough to be a student, special $10 tickets are available for some performances. Sweet!

Coming Home @ the Wilma
October 14 – November 15

The Wilma Theatre
265 South Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 546-7824
www.wilmatheater.org