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UNM’s Popejoy Hall hosts a unique pair of stage plays this weekend courtesy of New York’s storied troupe The Acting Company. The group will perform August Wilson’s Two Trains Running on Saturday, then turn right around and do Christina Anderson’s modern adaptation of The Comedy of Errors on Sunday.
The Acting Company was started 50 years ago by John Houseman and Margot Harley. At the time Houseman, a distinguished actor and theater producer, was head of the new Drama Department at the Julliard School. Diana Coates, who appears in Two Trains Running as Rita and among the ensemble actors of The Comedy of Errors, says The Acting Company “was founded with a mission of developing actors by touring professional shows. The first group of actors was actually the first graduating class of The Julliard School. Each season after its inception has included a classic and some form of contemporary or new work.”
Coates is traveling with a group of nine actors (plus four crew members, a stage manager, an assistant stage manager, a company manager and a bus driver). By the time they’re done with this tour, they’ll have hit 23 cities across the U.S.
“Although our venues change, our set travels on a separate truck with us from city to city, so having that major element remain the same makes our ability to adjust to our surroundings much quicker and easier,” says Coates. “I’ve found changes in venue can also aid in keeping shows fresh and exciting. Whether it’s the acoustics in a space or a change in crowd size, all of it can produce a bit of spontaneity and keep us on our toes.”
Wilson’s Two Trains Running is set in an African American diner in 1968 Pittsburgh and explores the uncertain future promised by the incipient Civil Rights movement. Coates plays Rita, the diner’s waitress and the only woman in the cast. Coates calls Rita a “great character” to play.
“She doesn’t speak as much as the others in this story, but I believe August Wilson uses her as a grounding force. As the waitress in this diner, she’s constantly moving about the space working, listening and caring for the individuals who come and go. It’s not just about keeping the coffee cups full, though. She’s deeply invested in these people’s lives as seen in her concern for a character who struggles with cognitive challenges. There’s also real vulnerability and a history of hurt that she’s dealing with underneath her headstrong and resolute persona.”
A classically trained actress who has appeared in a number of Shakespeare productions (including three different productions at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival), Coates is equally excited to jump into the somewhat lighter Comedy of Errors the very next day. But, she happily advises, this isn’t your father’s Shakespeare.
“Play On Shakespeare, an organization that works to promote the modern translations of all of Shakespeare’s plays, commissioned Tony-nominated playwright Christina Anderson to work on The Comedy of Errors,” explains Coates. “She brilliantly made sure to keep the meter, rhyme and meanings intact. In fact the main aim is simply to allow the audience to sit down and understand what’s happening in our world right away. Oftentimes, it takes an average audience member unfamiliar with the verse 10 to 15 minutes to really tune their ear to the language. By that time, many miss out on an important plot point or two and the introduction of some characters. This translation modernizes the archaic idioms and colloquialisms allowing the listener to settle in much quicker and enjoy.”
Tickets for both plays are available now through Popejoy Presents.
Two Train Running
April 5, 7:30 p.m.
Popejoy Hall
Tickets: $25-$65
The Comedy of Errors
April 6, 3 p.m.
Popejoy Hall
Tickets: $25-$65