The August Wilson Trifecta at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre

The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company is producing not 1, not 2, but 3 August Wilson plays next month! Founder of the company, Mark Clayton Southers, daughter Ashley Southers, and director Terrence Spivey, talk about the three productions. Mark starts off the trifecta with a production of "Two Trains Running" at the Madison Arts Center. "Two Trains" is set in the Hill District of Pittsburgh in the 1960s. A restauranter fights for his property, as the City targets it for demolition. Mark discusses the play, and how doing it will mark the second full competition of the August Wilson cycle that the company has done! Terrence Spivey talks about first meeting Mark over 16 years ago. He is directing "Fences", a powerful August Wilson classic, that is also set in the Pittsburgh Hill District. Terrence reflects on seeing the Broadway production with James Earl Jones. Ashley Southers closes out the festival with "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom". Staged cabaret style, Ashley discusses her role as director. Lastly, Mark talks about the new HVAC system at the Madison Arts Center, and their upcoming season curated by Monteze Freeland. You can see "Two Trains Running" from August 9th to 30th, "Fences" at the August Wilson House from August 8th to September 6th, and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" from August 15th to 24th. Visit https://www.pghplaywrights.org/ to learn more and get tickets! They are going fast! Thanks for tuning in to WQED's Voice of the Arts, Pittsburgh's trusted source for arts and culture in our region. Whether you're passionate about classical music, film, theater, opera, or local music, we’re here to bring you closer to the heart of Pittsburgh's local arts scene. Don’t miss our musician interviews, the latest local music news, and performing arts insights from across the Southwestern Pennsylvania region.  Subscribe and follow to stay connected with the vibrant voices shaping Pittsburgh’s creative community. Visit https://www.wqed.org/ to see what else WQED is doing in our community. Until next time, keep supporting the arts and keep listening to Voice of the Arts.