"Two Trains Running" at Marin Theatre Company

 Well, this is late. The holidays and vacations and such caught up with me, and I got way behind on blogging the limited shows we went to see. But this one was very good, and deserves mention.

The Play

As I've noted elsewhere, I'm a fan of August Wilson's work. I haven't yet seen all of his ten-play cycle representing African-American life in Pittsburgh during each decade of the 20th century, but I'm working on it. In this case it was a repeat, as we'd seen Two Trains Running at Ashland in 2013.

Set in a run-down restaurant in 1969, the subject at hand is urban renewal. The owner of the restaurant, Memphis, wants to sell his restaurant before it is torn down, but worries that the city will not meet his price. Meanwhile, local mortician and entrepreneur West offers to buy it from him. Meanwhile, Wolf is running numbers on the restaurant pay phone, Holloway is dispensing philosophy and playing chess, while the recently-released-from-prison Sterling is scheming ways to get ahead (and get with the restaurant's sole employee, Risa). And then there is Hambone, who appears to be mentally challenged, feeling aggrieved about a promised ham that he has never received.

As with most of Wilson's cycle, the play is an ensemble piece that highlights the characters who seem both timeless and very much of their time.

The Production

This was really nicely done: well cast and directed, the ensemble works well together to transport us to 1969. Director Dawn Monique Williams keeps the pace moving without rushing it. Within the very strong cast, Lamont Thompson as Memphis stands out with a nuanced portrayal of a man who seems a bit detached from everyone else while focusing on his own crusade, but who actually keeps a close eye on all in the circle of the restaurant. Eddie Ewell as Sterling and Khary L. Moye as West play two sides of a very similar role, both always on the lookout for any angle to get ahead, but currently in very different circumstances.

The whole group does a great job of making the production feel authentic.

Bottom Line

Having recently seen Wilson's The Piano Lesson in New York with a cast of well-known stars, it was refreshing to see again how well Wilson's plays work without the star power. The words and settings are always believable, and the scripts are rich with opportunities for any actor. Marin has done a fine job with this one. Unfortunately, it closed on December 18, so no further opportunities to see it. But a very solid offering.