By August Wilson
Directed by Mark Clayton Southers
August 9th – 30th 2025
Madison Arts Center in the Carter Woodson Redwood Theater
We return to this August Wilson classic, which we last presented in 2008 (when the production was listed among the top ten plays of the DECADE by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
Set in the turbulent 1960s, Memphis Lee fights for fair compensation when his only property, his restaurant, is targeted for demolition by the City in the name of urban renewal. Memphis is not alone in his fight for justice, fair wages and love as his employees and regulars face changes in the Hill District we still struggle with today.
Two Trains Running will be presented as part of August Wilson’s American Century Cycle Experience, three August Wilson classics, all running in August 2025 at Madison Arts Center and August Wilson House.
Cast
| Memphis | Art Terry |
| Sterling | Manny Walker |
| Wolf | Boykin Anthony |
| Risa | Amira Jackson |
| Hambone | Loaf Thomas |
| Holloway | Brian Vincent Starks |
| West | Sheldon Ingram |
Swing: DeVaughn Robinson
Setting
Memphis Lee’s diner in the Hill District of Pittsburgh in 1969.
Director’s Notes
This is indeed a very special production for me. The last time I directed this play I was very fortunate to have two Broadway veterans grace our stage, my good friends Eugene Lee as “West” and the late great Anthony Chisholm as “Memphis”.
We lost our beloved Anthony during those dark Covid days. His loss left a tremendous wound in the hearts of many in our theatre community. I still hear his unique deep-register voice echoing in my mind as I listen to Memphis’ lines during rehearsal.
Several things stand out with this production. It will be Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s second time producing Two Trains Running and with this production we will make history by completing Mr. Wilson’s American Century Cycle of ten iconic plays for the second time.
It’s always an honor to work on August Wilson’s plays. We not only honor him by delving into his scripts and staging them, but for all involved it’s a great learning experience through his magnificent storytelling and his ability to take all involved on a journey through America’s landscape and black culture, something that was not afforded to my generation through the traditional education system.
This directing process has been amazing, especially working alongside this great group from Pittsburgh’s talented acting pool. The outpouring of support from our board members, foundations and especially our generous patron base has been enormous.
I want to personally thank Mr. Wilson’s wife Constanza Romero for granting us permission to honor her late husband this way, and to my behind-the-scenes crew and my family for their never-ending support. I hope you enjoy the show and please spread the word.
Peace and theatre love,
Mark Clayton Southers
August Wilson’s American Century Cycle
With our production of Two Trains Running, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre becomes the first theatre company in the world to produce all ten plays of August Wilson’s American Century Cycle twice!
| Title (premiered) | Set In | Broadway | PPTCO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gem of the Ocean (2003) | 1904 | 2004 | 2012, 2019 |
| Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1986) | 1911 | 1988, 2009 | 2005, 2023 |
| Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984) | 1927 | 1984, 2003 | 2003, 2018, 2025 |
| The Piano Lesson (1987) | 1936 | 1990, 2022 | 2006, 2015 |
| Seven Guitars (1995) | 1948 | 1996 | 2009, 2016 |
| Fences (1985) | 1957 | 1987, 2010 | 2004, 2015, 2025 |
| Two Trains Running (1990) | 1968 | 1992 | 2008, 2025 |
| Jitney (1982) | 1977 | 2017 | 2010, 2022 |
| King Hedley II (1999) | 1985 | 2001 | 2011, 2018 |
| Radio Golf (2005) | 1997 | 2007 | 2013, 2024 |
About the Cast
Boykin Anthony (Wolf) is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. He is an award-winning actor, writer, and director, known for his work in stage, television, and film. He is also the voice of Sheetz, having done hundreds of voice-overs for the company.
Sheldon Ingram (West) Two Trains Running is Sheldon’s first performance in an August Wilson play, and he calls it a wonderful privilege. This marks his second play for Pittsburgh Playwrights, previously playing Bendoo Ojabe in Art of Wise. Sheldon started his journey into acting in January, 2021, studying in three acting programs in New York and Los Angeles. His studies began with HB Studio in New York, before moving on to Andrew Wood Acting Studios in Los Angeles, and then the New York Academy for Performing Arts. Those studies included film, television, scene study, character analysis, Shakespeare, and movement. Sheldon also studies Techniques of Modern Realist Acting under his acting coach, Tom Kibbie in Cork, Ireland. Sheldon’s first acting role was in the Netflix film The Deliverance, directed by Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniels. Sheldon landed two roles: the demon voice and a gynecologist. Sheldon’s other television and film credits include guest starring on Law & Order SVU, Lifetime movies Gaslit by My Husband and A Rose for Her Grave, as well as the lead role in the independent film House of Tears. His theater work includes A Soldier’s Play, by On Cue Productions, Norfolk, Va., Chicken and Biscuits, by New Horizon Theater Company, and Three Blind Mice, by the Becoming Arts Collective, both in Pittsburgh.
Amira F. Jackson (Risa) is a Pittsburgh native and interdisciplinary artist. Her artistic background is heavily rooted in screenwriting, directing, acting, and visual arts! Some of her favorite productions she’s been in are: Call Me By Any Other Name: A queer deconstruction of Romeo and Juliet (Lady Capulet), We are proud to Present… (Black Woman #6), Chicago (Emcee), and last but certainly not least, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s JaJa’s African Hair Braiding (Marie). Amira is so happy to be performing in her hometown and hopes you all enjoy the show!
Brian Vincent Starks (Holloway) has worked as the Marketing and Community Outreach Liaison for the Pittsburgh Public Theater, responsible for print and digital collateral distribution at events in the city, Allegheny County and online groups. While attending Peabody High School, Brian was given an apprenticeship by the Pittsburgh Black Theater Dance Ensemble where he excelled as a featured dancer of ballet, modern, ethnic, jazz, tap and Dunham. He has an extensive acting resume including film and television roles on New York Undercover and All My Children. He’s been featured in American Express, Kodak, K-Mart and Allegheny Health Care commercials. Brian has also starred in stage productions of The Wiz in Connecticut, To Kill a Mockingbird at the New Hazlett Theater, and August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, A Raisin in The Sun and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. He worked as Mayor Ed Gainey’s point photographer when Mayor Gainey was a PA State Legislator and is still called upon as a photographer for special political events.
Brian has been a mentor all his adult life, starting as the founding member of The Mechanical Wizzards Breakdancing group in the early 80s. He formed the group, training young men and women from the community in Chicago and Pittsburgh. The group became very successful, performing at entertainment venues across the country. At the Pittsburgh Public Theater, Brian has led tours and mentored at-risk youth by sharing how acting and the arts is a positive outlet for expression and growth that can transfer to other areas of their lives. He adds that arts can be a positive prevention from negative influences in an effort to bring hope and inspiration to youth.
Brian continues to teach the art of Hip Hop Breakdancing to youth in the community. Through his GoodStar Consulting, LLC., Brian and his partners were recently awarded the August Wilson Archive Community Artist-Scholarship. The award allowed youth ages 12-18 to combine an assortment of August Wilson monologues and scenes with Hip Hop music and dance choreography creating a visual experience. Last, but certainly not least, Brian provides community service to actively assist elderly living in senior homes with transportation and life care support. He is a proud father of three (Jonathan, Jocelyn and Cullen) and grandfather of six and counts his life a living testimony from God—to be a blessing of community service and loving support to others.
Art Terry (Memphis) is honored to continue his personal history of PPTCO participation that began over 20 years ago with roles in early productions of the Theatre Festival in Black and White, August in August vignettes, and most recently as Roosevelt in August Wilson’s Radio Golf here at PPTCO. With a history constructed by the influences of Vernell Lillie and Eileen Morris at Kuntu Repertory Theatre, refined through numerous experiences in television, film, and voice roles, he is humbled by the opportunity to represent the Hill District lifestyle he observed as a child on Webster Ave for the many patrons who appreciate the great work of August Wilson.
Loaf Thomas (Hambone) is thrilled to return to the stage with Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, marking his first theatrical performance in over a decade. He has appeared in Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil with New Horizon Theater, and in a production for the Black and White Festival. A seasoned entertainer, Loaf has been performing stand-up comedy for over 20 years with notable appearances on BET Comic View. With Loaf’s roots in both comedy and theater, he’s excited to bring his energy and passion back to the theatrical stage.
Manny Walker (Sterling) AKA BrothaMans is from the East Side of Pittsburgh. He is a self-taught songwriter, producer and poet, with musical theatre and marching band (drumline) background. He uses energy-infused rap lyrics & soulful emotional melodies to create a sense of creative duality to his music. While balancing the many responsibilities of being a recording artist, engineer and CEO of Man Made Studios, BrothaMans has found his way back on stage, acting and singing earlier this year in Javon Johnson’s Sanctified. You can find Manny’s music streaming on all platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music as “BrothaMans”.
Creative Team & Staff
| Playwright | August Wilson |
| Director | Mark Clayton Southers |
| Stage Manager | Krystal Waller |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Ashley Renee Southers |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Destiny Nwafor |
| Costume Designer | Cheryl El-Walker |
| Assistant Costume Designer | Jameelah Platt |
| Sound Designer | Wayne Gaines |
| Lighting Designer | Latrice Lovett |
| Asst. Lighting Designer, Master Electrician | Ava Allyn Bosley |
| Prop Master | Sarah “Gracie” Jackson |
| Props | Austin Sills |
| Scenic Designer | Mark Clayton Southers |
| Scenic Construction | Marcus Carl Southers, Darnell Chambers & Matt Southers |
| Scenic Painters | Ernest Bey, Darnell Chambers |
| Hair & Makeup & Special Effects | Cheryl El-Walker |
About the Creative Team
August Wilson (Playwright, April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) authored Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Radio Golf. These works explore the heritage and experience of the descendants of Africans brought to North America, decade by decade, over the course of the twentieth century.
These plays form a compilation entitled The American Century Cycle. Mr. Wilson’s plays have been produced on Broadway, at regional theaters across the country and all over the world. In 2003, he made his professional stage debut in his one-man show, How I Learned What I Learned. His works garnered many awards including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987) and for The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain’s Olivier Award for Jitney and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as well as seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, and Jitney. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award, and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Mr. Wilson’s early works included the one-act plays The Janitor, Recycle, The Coldest Day of the Year, Malcolm X, The Homecoming, and the musical satire Black Bart and the Sacred Hills. Mr. Wilson received many fellowships and awards, including the Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships in Playwriting, the Whiting Writers Award, 2003 Heinz Award, was awarded the 1999 National Humanities Medal by President Bill Clinton, and received numerous honorary degrees from colleges and universities, as well as the only high school diploma ever issued by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He was an alumnus of New Dramatists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and on October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Street – The August Wilson Theatre. Today, he is considered one of America’s finest playwrights. New York Public Radio recorded all ten plays in The American Century Cycle at the Greene Space, casting many of the actors that worked on the original productions. PBS aired a documentary on Mr. Wilson entitled The Ground On Which I Stand, as part of the American Masters series. A feature film adaptation of Fences released in 2016 was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and received many more awards. Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lived in Seattle, Washington at the time of his death in 2005. He is immediately survived by his two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero, who is the executor of his estate.
Mark Clayton Southers (Director, Scenic Designer, Producing Artistic Director) and his family reside in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District. He is an award-winning playwright, stage director, scenic designer, photographer and theatrical producer. He is the founder and producing artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company where he has produced well over 175 full-length and one-act plays, including August Wilson’s complete 10 play Pittsburgh Century Cycle. Favorite directing credits include Paul Robeson for the Griot Ensemble Theatre Company, Pill Hill for New Horizon Theatre, Dutchman for Bricolage Theater Company, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Piano Lesson for American Stage Theatre, Gem of the Ocean for Human Race Theatre, Angry Black Man Poetry for Theatre Śląski, Passing Strange for Short North Theatre, Papa Doc for Trilogy Opera Company, Sty of The Blind Pig for The Banyan Theatre Company, A Soldier’s Play for Phoenix Black Theatre Troupe, and Dorothy Six, Seven Guitars, VALU-MART, The Battle of Homestead and Jitney for The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. He’s also the resident August Wilson Cycle director at Pittsburgh’s CAPA. For more info please visit www.markclaytonsouthers.com
Ernest Bey (Scenic Painter) has been a fixture on the art scene in Pittsburgh for well over 40 years, and in that time he has won many awards, most notable the Trailblazer award in 2010. He was inducted into the Westinghouse Wall of Fame in 2018, and most recently, received a commendation by councilman Khari Mosley, designating February 22, 2024 as Ernest Bey Day in the city of Pittsburgh. Ernest is a multitalented artist working in watercolor, jewelry making, and wood carving. Ernest credits his father’s words for his belief in himself. “My father told me to ‘let the ancestors speak through you’.”
Ava Allyn Bosley (Assistant Lighting Designer, Master Electrician) is a Junior at North Carolina A&T State University, pursuing a BFA in Professional Theatre with a concentration in Theatre Technology and a minor in Electronics Technology. With a focus on Lighting Design, Ava is actively honing her craft through hands-on experience and specialized training. Her dedication and skill have earned her competitive positions including Light Board Operator, Electrician, Lighting Programmer, Assistant Lighting Designer, and Master Electrician with esteemed organizations such as the American Dance Festival and Virginia Theatre Festival. Beyond the tech table, Ava brings over a decade of movement training to her artistic perspective, having spent 13 years as a pre-professional dancer.
Cheryl El-Walker (Costumes, Hair, Makeup & Special Effects) is an award-winning costume designer and makeup artist who is also a veteran stage actor from Pittsburgh. She is the resident costume/makeup artist for the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. Her creative work in various venues has earned her several Onyx awards from the African American Council of the Arts (AACTA): Best Make-up Artist (2007); Best Costume for a Musical for Christmas Is Coming Uptown (2008); Best Leading Actress for Freeman (New Horizon Theatre, 2008); Best Costume Design for a Play (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and the PPTCO 2012 Legacy Award. In 2013, Cheryl debuted another one of her skills and received PPTCO’s Theater Festival in Black and White Award for Best Director. Most recently, Cheryl handled costumes, makeup and hair for Sanctified, Dinah and Radio Golf in PPTCO’s 2024 and 2025 seasons, while also performing in the first two, and appeared in The Nacirema Society for New Horizon. Cheryl is an alumna of Point Park University and is pleased to announce that she has done costume, makeup and special effects for all ten August Wilson plays.
Wayne Gaines (Sound Designer) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wayne is a skilled designer/technician with over 25 years of experience in audio/visual design and production for television programs, commercials, radio, theatres, feature films, documentaries, arena/auditoriums and churches. He began his career in sound design and technology with Braddock Films in Pittsburgh, PA. Among his credits is the award-winning documentary, Struggles in Steel. He is also the 2006 Onyx Award winner for his sound design for Seven Guitars, the 2007 winner for Sarafina, and the 2008 winner for Good Black Don’t Crack, all productions staged by Kuntu Repertory Theatre of Pittsburgh, PA. Waynes has worked with Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater on Ubuntu Holiday and most recently Sanctified. Wayne is pleased to be working with us again.
Latrice Lovett (Lighting Designer) is a native of Washington, DC who currently resides in High Point, NC. She has done lighting in several different genres of the performing arts including dance, theatre, musical theatre, live concerts and opera. She completed her bachelor’s degree at North Carolina Central University in Technical Theatre. She has also received her MFA in Design & Technology from University of Missouri-Kansas City where she studied Lighting Design. She is currently creating lighting designs and working on other lighting projects under her company Lovett Lighting LLC.
Destiny Nwafor (Assistant Stage Manager, understudy: Risa) is thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company in Two Trains Running. She is an actress and dancer who has worked with Alumni Theater Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT), and Gold Pyramid Stage & Screen. Recent credits include serving as choreographer of Alumni Theater Company’s Summer Intensive, performing in Twelfth Night at Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Hill Dance Academy Theatre’s Spring Dance Concert with Ronald K. Brown of Evidence Dance Company. Destiny is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Computer Science and Dance. When not acting or dancing, you can find her working on her startup, Pathfinder AI, helping students chart their college and career futures.
Jameelah Platt (Assistant Costume Designer) is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in Fine Art, Cinema History, and Archival Studies. She holds a BFA from Point Park University, where she focused on cinema production design and visual storytelling. Her creative practice is rooted in cultural ornamentation, historical research, and the preservation of Black narratives through visual art and design.
Jameelah has collaborated on student film productions including LEECH, Next Time Around, and Breakdown Boogie, and contributed to Joe Turner’s Come and Gone with the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. She is also a member of Women of Visions, Inc., the longest-running collective of Black women visual artists in the United States. Through the collective, she has exhibited work at Red Dot Miami 2024, a curated contemporary art fair held during Art Basel Miami, as well as the Carnegie Museum of Art in 2022.
Ashley Renee Southers (Assistant Stage Manager) has always had a deep passion for the arts. She loves working alongside her family at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company and proudly considers herself a D-I-A-P—a “Do-It-All-Person.”
Ashley graduated from Point Park University in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Creative Writing. Her creativity extends across many disciplines, from directing and writing to stage management and production. She recently co-directed with her father, Mark Southers, on the Alumni Theater Company’s production of Love Is…, a one-act play written by Michael Curry (Love Is, Love Ain’t). She also directed a staged reading for TyLie Snider on behalf of the Pedantic Arts Residency, in conjunction with the August Wilson Archive, titled Primary Sources at August Wilson House.
Ashley finds joy in challenging herself artistically and continuing to grow as a multi-faceted creative. In her free time, she loves writing, watching movies, and spending time with her family, close friends, and her two beloved dogs, Mama Cocoa and Bentley.
She would like to thank her father, Mark Southers, for being a lifelong source of inspiration, guidance, and support in her journey.
Ashley is honored to share her love for storytelling through the work she creates and brings to life on stage.
Krystal Waller (Stage Manager) is a recent graduate from the University of Louisville with an MFA in Performance/Theatre Arts. She has been captivating audiences since the age of 4, where she began as a dancer. Some of her most recent roles include: Clyde (Clyde’s), Escalus (Romeo and Juliet), Balthazar/2nd merchant (The Comedy of Errors), Adrian (The Tempest), Black Mary (Gem of the Ocean), Lou Bessie (The Old Settler), Jasmine (Fairview), and Nan (Gloria). Krystal also received a B.A. in Africana Studies with a minor in Theatre Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in April of 2020. She is committed to centering Black, female voices and uplifting Black feminist stories through a sociohistorical lens with her theatrical work. In her master’s thesis, she created a Black Femme performance praxis that decenters the White gaze while empowering Black women to tell their stories through their authentic voices. Additionally, she assistant-directed UofL’s 2024 production of Miss Holmes. Krystal is immensely grateful that her career has journeyed back home to the Steel City, where her passion for Black storytelling began.
PPTCO Staff and Board
See our staff and board members here.
Special Thanks
Rob Long, Clear Story
Bruce Yoch
Momar Milliones
Jalill Curges
Mark Nelson
Andre Joseph Clayton Southers
Kyren Munnerlyn
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company thanks the following for supporting our season of plays and special projects:
We also thank our donors! Click for a complete list, and learn how to become a PPTCO donor.
Printed program design and editing by Michelle Belan.
Online program design and editing by Steven Doerfler.
“August Wilson’s Two Trains Running” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Originally Produced on Broadway by Yale Repertory Theatre (Stan Wojewodski, Jr., Artistic Director), Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre (Gordon Davidson, Artistic/Producing Director) Herb Alpert/Margot Lion, Scott Rudin/Paramount Pictures, and Jujamcyn Theaters (James H. Binger, Chairman; Rocco Landesman, President; Paul Libin, Producing Director; Jack Viertel, Creative Director); produced in association with Huntington Theatre Company (Peter Altman, Producing Director; Michael Maso, Managing Director), Seattle Repertory Theatre and Old Globe Theatre (Jack O‘Brien, Artistic Director; Thomas Hall, Managing Director)
Originally mounted by Yale Repertory Theatre (Lloyd Richards, Artistic Director; Benjamin Mordecai, Managing Director).