an english touring theatre and two trains running · first two scenes of the play, design a costume...

RunningTwo TrainsAn English Touring Theatre and Royal & Derngate, Northampton co-production

by August Wilson directed by

Nancy Medina

LESSON PLANS

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LESSON 1: PLACING TWO TRAINS RUNNING WITHIN AUGUST WILSON’S CYCLE PLAYS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore August Wilson’s aims behind his Cycle plays and to understand the significance of the 1960s within the African American experience.

STARTER: August Wilson wrote ten plays charting the African American journey in the twentieth century, often referred to as The Pittsburgh Cycle.

• Gem of the Ocean (Set in 1904, premiered in 2003) - Three-centuries-old Aunt Ester is a former slave, a spiritual healer, and a prophet. Phylicia Rashad describes the character she played: “She (Aunt Ester) is the lineage of wise persons of wise women who hold the memory of ancestry. It’s holding the spirit of ancestry. It’s holding that connection to the meaning of life. And to the importance of life. It’s holding the connection of everything that came before.” • Joe Turners Come and Gone (Set in 1911, premiered in 1984) - Inspired by Romare Bearden’s Mill Hand’s Lunch Bucket painting, which was set in a boarding house and showed an abject man sitting in defeat, Wilson reimagined him in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. His main character, Herald Loomis, after enduring seven years of illegal servitude, travels from boarding house to boarding house with his 11-year old daughter in search of the wife and mother who deserted them. Joe Turner’s Come and Gone made it to Broadway in 1988, featuring Angela Bassett and was revived in 2009.

• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Set in 1927, premiered in 1984) - A fictional story about a real woman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was the only play in The Cycle set in Chicago. It explores racism, the often fraught history of black musicians and white producers, and what it means to really sing the blues. Ma Rainey says in the play, “White folks don’t understand about the blues. They hear it come out, but they don’t know how it got there. They don’t understand that’s life’s way of talking. You don’t sing to feel better. You sing ‘cause that’s a way of understanding life.”

• The Piano Lesson (Set in 1936, premiered in 1990) - The Piano Lesson is about a brother and sister who fight over whether to sell a family heirloom to purchase land that their enslaved ancestors once worked on or to keep it as part of their familial history. The play was filmed for television in 1995, starring Alfre Woodard and Charles S. Dutton who originated the role onstage. • Seven Guitars (Set in 1948, premiered in 1995) - Seven Guitars is set in the backyard of a Pittsburgh tenement where a womanizing blues singer, recently released from prison, tries to right what he has wronged. Keith David, Viola Davis, Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Tony winner for the role) starred in the production.

• Fences (Set in 1957, premiered in 1987) - The best known of Wilson’s plays, Fences presents the hardness a man develops after his athletic talents and opportunity for a better future are wasted because of racism; only years later, he’s forced to confront his son who wants to pursue a similar path in a different time. The original Broadway production in 1987 won Tonys for James Earl Jones, Mary Alice, and Best Play. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year. In 2010 it won Tonys for Best Revival and Denzel Washington and Viola Davis for Best Actor and Actress in a Play. A 2016 film directed by Washington was nominated for several Oscars, winning one for Ms. Davis. • Two Trains Running (Set in 1969, premiered in 1991) - At a soon-to-be-demolished lunch counter in the economically suffering Hill District, racial tensions of the era are passionately debated by the staff and regulars. Two Trains Running includes the first mention of an offstage 322-year-old prophet, Aunt Ester, who is seen in Wilson’s later plays.Ruben Santiago-Hudson won a Featured Actor Tony for Two Trains Running. He shared the stage in the Broadway production with Laurence Fishburne and Viola Davis.

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• Jitney (Set in 1977, premiered in 1982) - As Wilson tells the story, taxis wouldn’t go into the Hill District in the 1970s, so the community had to depend on jitneys, unlicensed cabs. Jitney takes place at Becker’s Car Service where the drivers laugh, bicker and fight, while waiting for requests to come in from a pay phone on the wall. There are nine characters all getting equal stage time: veterans of two wars, a father and son, lovers, an ex-con, and a flashy gossip with a gun. Although Jitney was the first play written in The Cycle it was the last to appear on Broadway in 2017.

• King Hedley II (Set in 1985, premiered in 1999) - King Hedley II tells the story of residents from a scarred neighborhood fighting to stay alive as part of the struggling underclass in the Reagan era. Brian Stokes Mitchell, Leslie Uggams, and Viola Davis (who won a Featured Actress Tony) brought this production to the Broadway stage.

• Radio Golf (Set in 1997, premiered in 2005) - In Radio Golf, black real estate developers (and a Mayoral) hopeful want to tear down the house where Aunt Ester once lived to make room for a shopping and apartment complex. Legacy and history are at odds with new ideas about black ambitions and progress. This is the last play Wilson completed before his death from liver cancer in 2005.

Information taken from https://www.biography.com/news/august-wilson-pittsburgh-cycle-century-cycle-plays-summary

In groups look at the summaries of each play.

What do you think Wilson might be saying about the African American journey in the Twentieth Century?

• Does he think that the African American community are better off in 1997 then they were in 1904? • Is he optimistic or pessimistic about their acceptance in their community? • Have some things changed for the better and some worsened? • Why do you think he has chosen to focus on Pittsburgh? Is it meant to be representative of any American city or is there another significance?

MAIN: With an understanding of Wilson’s approach to the Pittsburgh Cycle, now focus on Two Trains Running.

In groups research key events in the United States in the 1960’s.

Each group take a year and research into the key events that affected the Civil Rights Movement.

As a class create a time line of events that can be displayed in the classroom.

How might the mood of the country, particularly among African Americans, have changed from the beginning of the decade to the end?

Summarise the key events of Act 1: Scene 1. Find textual examples that suggest the state of the area the characters are living in. Memphis has two large monologues about eight pages in, talking about buying the restaurant and then about why he’s having to sell.

In what way might it connect to the progress of events in the sixties?

What is the significance of the death of Prophet Samuel? How could you relate these events and the outpouring of grief to wider events?

https://www.biography.com/news/august-wilson-pittsburgh-cycle-century-cycle-plays-summary

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EXTENSION: Sterling’s entrance to the end of the scene.

Re-read this section one more time. What is Wilson suggesting to the audience by introducing this character who has been away for a significant period of time?

Pick 3 moments that support this.

RESOURCES: Act 1: Scene 1 of Two Trains Running.

• Paper and Pens for Timeline. • Access to internet for research.

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LESSON 2: DESIGNING THE PLAY

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore how to reflect Wilson’s themes through set and costume.

STARTER: In pairs draw a sketch of the set as described in the opening of the play. It can be end on or seen from above.

What are the main elements that have to be included?

Try to think about colour, materials and textures as well as objects.

What records might be on the jukebox?

Share with the class and work to create a definitive set design for the production.

As the work continues, the sketch can be added to in order to ensure it is appropriate for the entire play.

MAIN: In groups summarise the key events of Act 1: Scene 2.

Each group take a character in the scene – Memphis, Holloway, Wolf, Risa, Sterling, West, Hambone. Depending on the size of the class and the desired groups, several groups can look at the same character and then compare their differences.

Hand each group a blank outline of a man or a woman. Using evidence that has been gathered from the first two scenes of the play, design a costume for the character. Again think about colour, materials and textures as well as items of clothing.

Ideally the teacher would be able to provide a selection of fabrics and materials to allow the students to create a mood board.

Each group will need to present their ideas to the class, justifying their decisions with textual examples from the play.

A lot of key information is provided in this scene: • Further details about the feud between Lutz and Hambone. • Holloway’s monologue about why Hambone might be smarter than them and Memphis’ response. • Information about the scarring on Risa’s legs. • The concept of African Americans being lazy and stacking. • The entrance of West and discussion over buying the building. • Sterling’s entrance, Malcolm X’s birthday and Black Power.

Based on these moments and these philosophies, a lot of which touch on the African American experience in the USA, do you think the designs for both set and costumes are correct? Do they correctly reflect the ideas of Urban Renewal at the expense of local communities?

Pass designs to different groups to develop and/or change.

Present back to the group, again justifying all decisions with evidence from the play.

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EXTENSION: Throughout the play, the ‘N’ word is used frequently.

How does it make you feel hearing it or reading it?

Why does Wilson do this?

Language has power. What are the characters trying to achieve by using this language? Do they all have the same aims?

Find three examples that suggest differing aims.


• Outlines of male and female figures. • Materials and pens. • Access to internet for research.

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LESSON 3: WHY TWO TRAINS RUNNING?

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore the significance of the title and how it relates to Wilson’s view of the world and to see whether that has changed.

STARTER: Act 1: Scene 3 begins with a duologue between Risa and Sterling. In pairs read and act out this scene.

Make notes of the key things we learn about the two characters from Risa’s scarring to Sterling’s upbringing; Risa’s refusal to go along to see the Prophet Samuel and Sterling determined to make his fortune through gambling.

What does this say about life for these two characters? Are they meant to represent the difficulties for the majority of African Americans at that time?

Share your ideas with the class.


Sterling says ‘All I do is try to live in the world, but the world done gone crazy. I’m sorry I was ever born into it.’ He goes on to dismiss the idea of having children so as not to subject them to the world and Wolf agrees.

Is this a fair statement to make?

In groups find examples in the scene that suggest just how hard life is for these characters.

Focus on: • The lack of jobs. • Sterling looking to buy a gun. • The inevitability of ending up in prison due to colour. • The story of Bubba Boy and his wife. • Trying to get Hambone to say Black is Beautiful. • Memphis’ reaction to the offer for the building.

Why is the play called Two Trains Running? According to August Wilson, for this play representing the Sixties the title came first. “The title came from a blues song called ‘Two Trains Running,’ and actually that phrase is in several blues songs. It’s most commonly followed by the lines ‘two trains running, neither one going my way. One running by night, one run by day.’... I wanted to write a play for whom neither of these trains were working. He had to build a new railroad in order to get where he’s going, because the trains are not going his way. That was the idea I started our exploring.”

Other theories suggest it refers to life and death, the two inevitabilities of existence.

What do you think?

What arguments can be made to say that African American lives have improved over the course of the century up until 1969? Is there evidence to suggest that there is more in their lives than simply two trains running?

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Prepare arguments and then come together to debate the issue.

Remember, Wilson chose the title of the play for a very specific reason. Whilst he may not have been making any judgements, he is certainly expecting the audience to decide how they feel about the human condition in 1969.

Share with students the facts of ‘Black Lives Matter.

Allow the students to research this.

Have things changed in any way in the fifty years since the play’s setting?

EXTENSION: Discuss the idea of some African American Athletes refusing to stand for their National Anthem.

In groups take a character from the play. Prepare a monologue to show how they would feel about this idea. Use your knowledge of the first act of the play to help you.

If there’s time, share with the class.


• Paper and pens. • Access to internet for research.

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LESSON 4: POWER AND THE PAST

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore Wilson’s pairing of power with the past.

STARTER: In pairs pick a character from the play apart from Memphis. Create their backstory before the play starts.

What are the things that have happened in their lives that you think shape them to be the people they are in the play?

Did they grow up in Pittsburgh? What brought them to where they are now?

Share ideas with the class. Remember there are no right answers.

MAIN: In groups summarise the key events of Act 2: Scenes 1 - 3.

August Wilson asked ‘Can you acquire a sense of self-worth by denying your past?’ His answer, ‘I don’t think you can.’

In Act 2: Scene 1, Memphis talks about his past, ‘Just Like I’m going back to Jackson one of these days. I still got the deed. They ran me out of there but I’m going back.’

Read through the monologue. Make a note of all the facts we learn about Memphis and his past.

Discuss in groups to what extent his actions in the play are affected by this? Is he risking everything by holding out for £25 000 and not taking West’s offer?

Are the other characters any different or are they all controlled by their past?

Look at the story of Holloway wanting to kill his Grandfather. What did he do to take control of the situation? Is there anything here that Memphis can learn from?

Imagine you’re Aunt Esta, write a speech detailing what you would say to a character of your choice to try to get them to move forward.

Are we any different? Are our lives dictated by what has gone before and what our families have experienced? Can you think of an example? What are the positive and negative elements about this?

EXTENSION: In Scenes 2 and 3 of Act 2, we learn that Hambone has died. Risa tries to negotiate with West to get him a better casket, but with no luck.

Why is it so important to her that he has a proper casket?

Holloway tells a story about a man driving a truck full of mirrors, having an accident, being alright but breaking all the mirrors, ‘They had to carry him away in a straitjacket.’

What is the role of magic in the play? What is the role of faith? What is the role of cynicism?

Draw up a table with the above three headings and find examples from these two scenes that fit into the three categories. This can be expanded to take in the whole play. Do you think Wilson is favouring a particular approach?

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RESOURCES: Act 2: Scenes 1 - 3 of Two Trains Running.


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LESSON 5: CHARACTER JOURNEYS

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To explore where the characters end up at the conclusion of the play.

STARTER: Act 2: Scene 4 is a scene between Sterling and Risa.

Summarise the events of the scene.

Pick three key moments from the scene. Write the dialogue for these moments, but using subtext. What are the characters really saying at these moments? How does this reveal their hopes and fears?

Do you think there will be happy ending for these two characters? Do they deserve one? What does a happy ending look like?


It’s Hambone’s funeral and the characters gather to see him off.

Holloway speaks about Love and Death, ‘That’s all you got. You got love and you got death.’ What do you think he means by that? Do you agree?

Take all the characters in the play and decide where they fit into Holloway’s philosophy. Do they have love or will they have death?

Hambone is laid out and West comments on how he is covered in scars.

How did Hambone get those scars? In groups write a story of events that created those scars. It might be one event or it might be several over many years.

Memphis returns to say he has been awarded thirty five thousand dollars for the building. Ten more than he was holding out for.

Sterling steals two hams for Hambone’s casket.

Is this a happy ending? Is it positive? Is it how you expected the play to end?

In groups discuss what you feel Wilson is trying to say with the ending of the play. Is he hopeful for the future for African Americans?

Are there any similarities between the community in this play and the community within your school? Is there still a sense of community anymore? Can you find examples? If you feel there isn’t, can you think why that might be?

EXTENSION: Taking Wilson’s concept of Cycle plays, you’re writing a play set in the 1970’s. Decide which of these characters will feature in it and write out the key events of the play, deciding what has happened to these characters ten years on.



an english touring theatre and two trains running · first two scenes of the play, design a costume...

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