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Frankie Faison and Arthur French in
August Wilson's Two Trains Running.
Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg
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From the Founding Artistic Director
I'm pleased to present August Wilson's Two Trains Running and to introduce Lou Bellamy. As I mentioned in the previous issue of Signature Edition, over the process of planning The August Wilson Series, August and I talked about many projects that might comprise a season of new work. But we also discussed including a play from the twentieth-century cycle, and August felt that Two Trains Running was right for revisiting and that Lou Bellamy was the right director for it.
We welcome Lou not only as a member of our company, but as the Founding Artistic Director of another company, Penumbra Theatre Company, in St. Paul, Minnesota, that has advocated for African-American theatre since its inception in 1976. August lived in St. Paul from 1978 to 1990 and it is the city where his work was really given birth. Penumbra gave August his start in 1984 with his first ever professional production and August maintained a close relationship with the company who continue to produce many of his plays.
August's connection to Lou and Penumbra is an important piece of history and perspective on his plays. It's these roots that led to the incredible body of work that August was able to develop over time, and that kind of early encouragement is what makes an artist. Lou and Penumbra's contribution to the American theatre landscape cannot be underestimated either. Penumbra Theatre Company is one of the few African-American theatres in the country and it's an uphill battle to keep that alive. To sustain a company for thirty years is miraculous under any circumstance, and I applaud Lou for this extraordinary achievement.
Watching the amazing ensemble of Seven Guitars in the intimacy of the Peter Norton Space was a truly special experience and we are thrilled to bring you Two Trains Running, another rich ensemble play featuring characters we come to know and care for, and whose personal struggles mirror the larger labors of the African-American community in the late 1960s. We've assembled an exemplary cast to embody these great roles; Leon Addison Brown, Chad L. Coleman, Frankie Faison, Arthur French, Ron Cephas Jones, January LaVoy, and Ed Wheeler, and a wonderful creative team of designers to help bring their stories to life; Derek McLane (sets), Matthew Lefebvre (costumes), Robert Wierzel (lights), Brett Jarvis (sound), and Erin Lunsford (wigs and hair). This work is not only about this play, but a time, a place, and a community, essential to celebration.
-James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director
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