BWW Reviews: GEVA Theatre Center Presents TWO TRAINS RUNNING

It seems only appropriate that Rochester's GeVa Theatre Center would transition from Arthur Miller's The Price to August Wilson's Two Trains Running; comparatively speaking, however, Wilson has given Miller a run for his money. Ron OJ Parson's exhilarating production of Two Trains Running, the fourth fully mounted play of Geva's celebration of Wilson and the seventh in his famed Pittsburgh Cycle, gives its audience what The Price never could: an entertaining, well-paced, and (dare I say) priceless night of theater.

As in Miller's play, the language of Two Trains Running is largely centered on economic and monetary worth; the action (or lack thereof) takes place in Memphis Lee's (A.C. Smith) soon-to-be demolished Pittsburgh diner, and what little plot there hinges on Memphis' conflict with the city over the price they want for the building. While Memphis ruminates on his life, his hardships and his property, the diner is host to a number of regulars: Holloway (AlFrEd Wilson), retiree-turned-philosopher, Wolf (Ronald Connor), the numbers man, West (Allen Edge), the wealthy owner of the funeral parlor across the street, and Hambone (David Shakes), the mentally unstable individual whose derangement stems from the conflict he had with the white grocery man across the street about payment for painting a fence with a ham, as his name suggests. The men would rather rehash past and present events than eat the beans and cornbread doled out by Risa (Patrese McClain), the defiant and scarred (both physically and emotionally) waitress who bears the demands of the male patrons and her boss with quiet resentment. Sterling (Javon Johnson), recently released from prison, is the only outsider to the establishment; he never truly seems to fit into the group, evident in the men's general dismissal of him, but optimistically attempts to regardless.

Each character is relatively superstitious about their futures and the property they have accumulated over time; this is largely encompassed in the unseen character of Aunt Esther, the 322 year-old religious woman who appears in several of Wilson's plays. The play's excellence lies not in plot structure but in character study; Wilson weaves his characters together in a way that is incredibly interesting and engaging, and thankfully balances the heavily dramatic moments with comedy.

Given that the play is a period piece set at the tail-end of the 1960s, most would expect heavy-handed doses of the doctrines of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Malcolm X. However, allusions to these figures never are any louder than the cars that drive by the diner periodically (aside from a single reference to King and a few mentions of the 1969 Pittsburgh Malcolm X rally, an event to which Sterling attempts to lure the diner's main group). Though Wilson covers a lot of territory in Two Trains (African American migration, the Black Power movement, property and individual rights, to name a few), it never feels as if the playwright is lecturing his audience in the way that he does in his most acclaimed work, Fences (being mounted on Broadway at the end of the month with Denzel Washington). Despite being set in one of the most volatile periods of African American history, Two Trains Running is a wholly quieter play and, ultimately, a more human one; instead of using his characters as glorified mouthpieces for his opinions, Wilson creates believable, heartbreakingly realistic men (and a single woman) whose trials and tribulations, while poetic, are convincingly authentic. This is perhaps the reason why the actual plot points are not as solidly executed as the characters are; the budding romance between Sterling and Risa, for instance, though tense in its own right, could have been fleshed out slightly more.

With this in mind, it is not surprising that the play's effectiveness truly relies on a strong ensemble, and the group, under Ron OJ Parson's direction, delivers - and then some. The strength of The Players' performances is nearly equitable; A.C. Smith deftly glides from melancholic anger to delirious happiness as Memphis, AlFrEd Wilson lands many of the largest laughs with his drily-wise Holloway, and Javon Johnson correctly gives Sterling a smoother-than-silk exterior with a few ever-widening rips, giving way to a frustration and rage he can't quite verbalize. Ronald Connor's performance as Wolf provides a nice contrast to his would-be rival, Sterling; Connor's swagger and rough voice stands out well enough in comparison to Johnson's gliding walk and velvety voice. Patrese McClain gives a quiet, deliberate performance as Risa, dutifully (if resentfully) executing the tasks asked of her by the men in the restaurant. Allen Edge's portrayal of West is similarly understated; the monologue in which he explains his embittered acceptance of life and death is delivered in a simple, but nonetheless poignant way. If there is a standout in the ensemble, however, David Shakes as Hambone certainly qualifies; Shakes manages to glean new meaning from every repetition of his (essentially) only line in the script - "He gonna give me my ham!" - and its variations.

Shaun Motley's scenic design is gorgeous, if a bit too pristine for a supposedly run-down diner (it should be noted that the promotional images for the show are not of the set itself). Though the yellow tiles make Lee's Restaurant look dingy and aged, the seat cushions and general décor could stand to be roughed up a bit. Nevertheless, the small diner created onstage would easily seem at home in any city. Kathy Perkins' subtle lighting design evokes memories of Debbie Allen's recent all-black Broadway revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof; the lights at first appear to be realistic, but as characters delve into the monologues that reveal their personal fears, aggravations and trepidations, they are illuminated by a spotlight which gradually grows stronger as the surrounding light is weakened. The effect frequently goes unnoticed until the lights brighten again at the end of those speeches, and is generally effective. Myrna Colley Lee's costumes are nearly flawless; like the set itself, the clothes and shoes could use some wear and tear.

Though the production clocks in at three hours and ten minutes, Parson's direction and the pacing inherent in Wilson's text make the length a non-issue; Two Trains Running ultimately leaves the audience thrilled and pensive. Despite its 1969 setting, the importance of the themes of Wilson's play today is undoubted and validates the reasons for Geva's five-year commitment to the playwright's work.

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Two Trains Running will have performances through April 25. Tickets range from $22 to $59 and can be purchased by calling (585) 232 GEVA (4382) or visiting www.gevatheatre.org. As an accompanying event, Geva will present a reading of Jitney, the eighth play in August Wilson's cycle, in the Mainstage on Monday, April 19 at 7:30pm. Tickets for this event are free but must be reserved in advance through the Box Office: (585) 232-Geva.

GeVa Theatre Center is located at 75 Woodbury Blvd in Rochester, NY.

Two Trains Running features a cast of Ronald Connor (Wolf), Javon Johnson (Sterling), Allen Edge (West), Patrese McClain (Risa), David Shakes (Hambone), A.C. Smith (Memphis Lee) and AlFrEd Wilson (Holloway).

Two Trains Running is directed by Ron OJ Parson. Originally from Buffalo and now based in Chicago, Mr. Parsons, is one of the country's leading directors of August Wilson's plays. The design team includes Shaun Motley (scenic design) who designed last year's stunning production of Fences, Myrna Colley Lee (costume design), Kathy Perkins (lighting design) and Ian Hildreth (sound design).

GeVa Theatre Center is Rochester's leading professional theatre and the most attended regional theatre in New York State. Founded in 1972, Geva attracts over 170,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage offers a wide variety of shows, from musicals to American and world classics.

The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva's own series of cutting-edge drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornet's Nest - an innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. The Nextstage also hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

GeVa Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. For the past fourteen years the organization has been led by Artistic Director Mark Cuddy.

 

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