Jimmie Woody to Direct August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING in 2026

Beck Center for the Arts will once again produce a poignant work by Black playwright August Wilson, with Two Trains Running. As a finalist for the 1992 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, August Wilson's Two Trains Running is a taunt drama filled with relatable characters with lyrical dialogue that lures the audience into the story.

Memphis Lee's coffee shop lies in Pittsburgh's Hill District, a neighborhood on the brink of economic development. Like most neighborhood hang outs, you'll find the sage elder statesman, an ex-con, a numbers runner, a quiet waitress with a past, and a man with special needs who is looking for his ham. Compared to works by Chekhov, in this drama Wilson reveals the hopes and dreams of a community on the brink of change in the 1960s.

Local award-winning director, Jimmie Woody states, “I'm really looking forward to directing Two Trains Running. I'm not interested in repeating what was done with Jitney in the 2024 season, but in engaging this play on its own terms, through the talent of this cast and the beauty of August Wilson's language, which continues to inspire me and push me to make this production something special.”