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Dramaturg Interview: Soyica Colbert on  
Two Trains Running 

By Melonnie Walker 
Dramaturg and Social Media Coordinator for the August Wilson Society 

              

In Two Trains, we found that Wilson’s grappling with 
questions about self-determination and justice at the heart 
of the black power and black arts movements continue to 
inform political and artistic organizations today. 

− Soyica Colbert 

Abstract  
An interview with Soyica Colbert, dramaturg for Arena Stage's (Washington, D.C.) production of Two 
Trains Running.  

Keywords 
August Wilson, Arena Stage, Washington, D.C., Two Trains Running, Pittsburgh, Hill District,  

Dramaturgy, Broadway, Soyica Colbert 

In the spring of 2018, Arena Stage in Washington, DC, collaborated with Seattle 
Repertory Theatre to co-produce Two Trains Running in DC.  The run was originally 
scheduled for March 30 through April 29, but, due to its success, was extended through May 
6, 2018.  The production was directed by Juliette Carrillo and the production dramaturg was 
Dr. Soyica Colbert. 

This play is August Wilson’s seventh 
installment in his ten-play American Century Cycle, 
premiering on Broadway in 1992.  The play is set in 
1969 in a neighborhood diner that serves as a 
gathering place for residents of Pittsburgh’s Hill 
District.  Contextually, the backdrop for this play is 
the turbulent decade of the 1960s, which 
encompassed race riots, the ongoing Vietnam War, 
the March on Washington, and the assassinations of 
John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther 
King, Jr.  Through the characters in this play, Wilson 

explores themes of unity and pride, contrasting life principles, and how communities and 
individuals choose to create their path forward. 

I interviewed Dr. Colbert about her process for this production of Two Trains 
Running, and asked her to share her experience working with the cast and crew.  I was 

Mel Walker Soyica Cobert 



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specifically interested in any challenges, surprises, or special requests that may have 
occurred. 

 
MW: What kind of research goals did the director provide for you?  Such as certain historical 
context, or certain script references, etc. 
  
SC: In consultation with the Artistic team at Seattle Repertory Theatre, we provided 
research about August Wilson’s Century Cycle, Two Trains Running’s place in the cycle, 
Pittsburgh in the 1960s, Gentrification, the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power 
Movement, and the Black Arts Movement. 
  
MW: Were there any particular challenges or surprises that came up during the process? 
  
SC: The main question we returned to again and again was how the questions of the play 
resonate with contemporary issues. In Two Trains, we found that Wilson’s grappling with 
questions about self-determination and justice at the heart of the black power and black arts 
movements continue to inform political and artistic organizations today. 
  
MW: Do you have a favorite scene or section of dialogue from Two Trains Running? 
  
SC: There are several powerful moments. My favorite line is when Memphis says, “Freedom 
is heavy. You got to put your shoulder to freedom. Put your shoulder to it and hope your 
back hold up.” The moments of intimacy between Sterling and Risa are also striking because 
they point to political collaboration emerging by way of friendship and trust. 
  
MW: Can you tell our readers about other relevant events that took place around 1969, when 
this play is set, that may have influenced the characters, or even the playwright? 

SC: In June 1966, Carmichael declared that “1966 [was] the year of the concept of Black 
power.” Soon after, SNCC, headed by Stokely Carmichael, rejected its historical strategy of 
nonviolence and embraced the notion of Black Power which emphasized Black nationalism 
and self-reliance. This led to the decline of interracialism within the organization.  On Oc-
tober 15, 1966, in the wake of the assassination of Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton and Bobby 
Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in West Oakland, California.  In 
1968, Wilson co-founded the Black Horizon Theater Company with friend Rob Penny in 
the Hill District of Pittsburgh. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968.  As we note 
in the dramaturgical workbook, the Black Power Era was the time period when Wilson 
came of age as an artist. As a result, this play is not only a reflection on the decade but also 
the contexts that formed him as an artist. 

MW: Did you have any personal revelations about the play as you were researching it? 
  
SC: It is striking how play resonates so profoundly with ongoing questions about spatial 
justice and gentrification in Washington D.C. 
  
MW: During your interactions with the cast and crew, what were the definitive themes 
about Two Trains Running that you felt a need to emphasize, or particular ideas that you 
wanted to highlight? 
  
SC: Because we worked on the notebook for the Seattle Rep. production first, we did not 
have much opportunity to interact with the cast and crew for that production. We did enjoy 



W A L K E R :  D R A M A T U R G  I N T E R V I E W :  S O Y I C A  C O L B E R T  O N   
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collaborating with the literary managers at Seattle Rep and Arena Stage to develop the 
workbook and respond to questions from the artistic teams. 
  
MW: In scheduled talkbacks, or engaging with the audience, what can you tell our readers 
about audience response? 
  
SC: In a talkback at Arena Stage, two of the student research assistants, Skylar Luke and 
Taurjhai Purdie, answered questions about the play and its history. It was useful to hear how 
audiences responded to the politics of the play and to the way it foreshadows many of 
ongoing struggles of urban America regarding corporatization of businesses and 
segregation.” 
  
MW: Are there any other plays in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle that you have 
served as dramaturg for, or would like to? 
  
SC: I have not served as a dramaturg on any of Wilson’s other plays but would welcome the 
opportunity. 
 
MW: Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. 

Dr. Soyica Colbert is the Chair of the Department of Performing Arts, Director of Theater 
and Performance Studies and an Associate Professor of African American Studies and The-
ater and Performance Studies at Georgetown University. She is the author of The African 
American Theatrical Body: Reception, Performance and the Stage (Cambridge UP, 2011) 
and Black Movements: Performance and Cultural Politics (Rutgers UP, 2017).  Dr. Colbert 
has published articles and essays in American Theatre, African American Review, and the 
collection of essays edited by Alan Nadel, entitled, August Wilson: Completing the Twenti-
eth-Century Cycle.  

Works Cited 

Wilson, August.  Two Trains Running.  Theatre Communications Group.  2007. 

Author Bio 

Ms. Melonnie Walker is a dramaturg and social media coordinator for the August Wilson 
Society. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

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	Dramaturg Interview: Soyica Colbert on  Two Trains Running
	Abstract
	Keywords

	Works Cited
	Author Bio

