Between 1982 and 2005, August Wilson wrote 10 plays that are now known as his Century Cycle series. Before leaving the Alliance for the Arts, Bill Taylor and Theatre Conspiracy produced six of these plays. Now, they’re collaborating with the Laboratory Theater of Florida for a seventh.
“Two Trains Running” captures a community caught in the gears of urban renewal. While the world outside is loud with the sounds of protest and political shifts, Wilson takes us inside the steam and grit of a Pittsburgh eatery where the stakes are purely personal. It’s a story about the cost of a building, the value of a life’s work, and the question of whether a person can ever truly get a fair shake from a system that keeps moving the finish line.
Sonya McCarter directs this seventh installment of Wilson’s American Century Cycle.
“’Two Trains Running’ exists in the space between life and death—not only as destinations, but as choices,” observed McCarter. “August Wilson sets each character in motion, navigating the pull between old ways and hard truths, justice and the comfort of the status quo, luck and faith, love and rejection. No one in this world stands still. Every decision carries consequences, pushing each character toward growth or stagnation, survival or surrender. The play reminds us that movement is inevitable—but direction is a choice. And in choosing, we discover what it truly means to live.”
The show opens at the Laboratory Theater of Florida Feb. 20 and runs through March 7.
MORE INFORMATION:
The Laboratory Theater and Theatre Conspiracy collaborated in December for a successful run of “Clown Bar Christmas.”
“Two Trains Running” is set in 1969.
It evinces a “Hill District” philosophy (named for the neighborhood in Pittsburgh), a blend of street-smart wisdom, mystical prophecy and the raw pursuit of a paycheck.
The play’s central characters are Sterling (Daniel Kinney), a young man fresh out of the penitentiary looking for a win, and Memphis (Robert Barner), the diner’s owner who refuses to let the city buy his soul for a penny less than it’s worth. Between the rhythmic demands of Hambone (Lemec Bernard) and the quiet, scarred resilience of Risa (BreSheena Kinney), the play reveals that the real revolution isn’t happening on the news, it’s happening over a cup of coffee and a game of numbers. It is a sharp, funny, and deeply moving portrait of people who are determined to be seen before their neighborhood disappears.
Joining Director Sonya McCarter on the “Two Trains” creative team are assistant director Shontae Khaleel White, costume designer Diana Waldier, and stage manager Tiffany Campbell.
“Two Trains Running” features Robert Barner (Memphis), Elvis Mortley (West), Ty Davis (Wolf), Lemec Bernard (Hambone), Daniel Kinney (Sterling), Sheena Kinney (Risa) and Cicero McCarter (Holloway).
Performances are at:
- 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, 21, 26 and 27 and March 5, 6 and 7; and
- 2 p.m. on Feb. 22 and 28 and March 1 and 2.
Tickets are $37 each or $10 for students with valid student IDs. The Thrifty Thursday night special ticket price is $32 each for adults.
For tickets, call the box office at 239-291-2905 or visit www.laboratorytheaterflorida.com.
The Laboratory Theater of Florida, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts, through live performance, education, community outreach, experimentation, and the development of ensemble work. The company features ensemble productions, produces classic works, takes artistic risks, which both feature and challenge local performers.
For more information, visit www.LaboratoryTheaterFlorida.com.
Lab Theater is at 1634 Woodford Ave. in the Fort Myers River District.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
