Rubicon Theatre Company WINTERFEST To Feature Works By August Wilson and William Shakespeare

RUBICON THEATRE has announced a three-play WinterFest as part of the company's 2024/2025 “Dare to Dream” season.

The shows include Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING (Jan 15 – Feb. 2) in repertory with Christina Anderson's PLAY ON SHAKESPEARE translation of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS (Jan. 19 – 28), and August Wilson's autobiographical play HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED (Jan. 27).

The Plays 

TWO TRAINS RUNNING

The first two plays in the festival celebrate a new collaboration between RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY and THE ACTING COMPANY (TAC) of New York. 

Set in 1969, during a turbulent time in American history, August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING offers a poignant, powerful, and surprisingly funny exploration of race, identity, and the pursuit of the American Dream in a rapidly changing world.

Directed by Lili-Anne Brown, this riveting production brings Wilson's vibrant, multi-dimensional characters to life with authenticity and passion. The play unfolds in a small diner in Pittsburgh's Hill District, where the owner Memphis Lee (played by Michael A. Shepperd) must decide if he should allow the government to take over his building or sell the property to a ruthless businessman. The restaurant's waitress Risa (played by DeAnna Supplee), smart, angry and beautiful, struggles with men considering only her looks. Wolf, an enthusiastic racketeer (J'Laney Allen) and Holloway(Brian D. Coats), an older man with a spiritual perspective, are regulars at the restaurant. Sterling (James Milord) a brash young man just released from prison, is a newcomer to the restaurant. Hambone (Chuckie Benson) an indigent character who comes into the diner, is obsessed by a “ham” he is owed by a man for whom he painted a fence. (Other company members are Diane Coates, Robert Cornelius and Jeffrey Rashad.) 

Through the course of the play, the characters discuss the changes taking place in the community and the world outside, from gentrification, to the death of a local preacher the influence of Malcolm X, to the rise of the Black Power movement. However, the characters in Memphis's diner are not on the front lines of the larger change that is happening. New York Times' critic Frank Rich wrote of the original 1992 production, “The glorious storytelling serves not merely as picturesque, sometimes touching and often funny theater but as a penetrating revelation of a world hidden from view to those outside it…So determined is TWO TRAINS RUNNING to avoid red-letter events and larger-than-life heroes that it is easily Mr. Wilson's most adventurous and honest attempt to reveal the intimate heart of history.” 

Director Brown is a renowned director based in Chicago whose credits include the Huntington Theatre, Goodman Theatre, the McCarter, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Brown has received two Helen Hayes Awards, five Jeff Awards, two BTA awards and an African American Arts Alliance Award for excellence in directing.

TWO TRAINS RUNNING is part of August Wilson's renowned Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of ten plays that chronicle the African American experience through the 20th century. The play received widespread critical acclaim for its exploration of identity, dignity, and the relentless pursuit of hope despite systemic oppression. Wilson's poetic dialogue and richly developed characters continue to make his work a cornerstone of American theatre. The TAC/Rubicon run in Ventura is the launch of the National Tour, and the production will subsequently tour to 22 venues throughout the U.S.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

The second production in WinterFest, performed by the same nine-person African American cast, is Shakespeare's hilarious tale of mistaken identity, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Helmed by The Acting Company's Producing Director Devin Brain, a Yale MFA graduate based in New York whose work has been seen on stages from Chicago to China, 

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS is a farcical tale of two sets of identical twins separated at birth. Antipholus and his servant Dromio travel in search of a long-lost family member, only to get mixed up in a madcap race against the clock, love-at-first-double-take, run-ins with local law enforcement, and double trouble – times two. 

This translation by Christina Anderson was commissioned by PLAY ON SHAKESPEARE, which was initially run by OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. The program selected contemporary playwrights and tasked them with "matching Shakespeare's linguistic rigor as they approached the text, preserving rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, meter, imagery, symbolism, rhetoric, and the structure that make Shakespeare's plays engaging and accessible to today's audience.”

Anderson, known for her powerful, contemporary voice and commitment to amplifying diverse voices, brings a dynamic new perspective to the timeless tale of separation, and reunion. Her work has been produced across the country including theatres such as Berkeley Rep, Goodman Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, and Yale Rep. A Tony nominated writer for Outstanding Book of a Broadway musical for Paradise Square, Anderson has received the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, the Horton Foote Prize, and the United States Artists Fellowship, among many other honors. Her translation retains the humor and energy of Shakespeare's original text, while infusing the dialogue with a modern rhythm and accessibility for today's audiences. The production promises to illuminate the play's universal themes of family, belonging, and the search for identity, all through a contemporary lens.The two Antipholus' are played by James Milord and Jeffrey Rashad, with J'Laney Allen and Chuckie Benson as the two put-upon Dromios. DeAnna Supplee plays Adriana, wife of one of the Antipholi, with Diana Coates playing her sister Luciana. Others in the cast of “clowns” take on multiple roles, including Brian D. Coats, Robert Cornelius, and Michael A. Shepperd. 

The production plays in rep following the run at Rubicon a part of TAC's 2025 National Tour. Says Rubicon Theatre Company Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns, “I love the poetry of August Wilson's TWO TRAINS RUNNING and Christina Anderson's Play On translation of William Shakespeare's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS being performed in repertory, as I believe, in the future, if not already, August Wilson will be thought of as the Shakespeare of our time.” More About the Rep CastAccording to TAC Artistic Director Kent Gash, “Our directors have assembled extraordinary actors for the run at Rubicon and our national tour, and I'm thrilled!” 

The talented cast for the repertory of Two Trains Running and The Comedy of Errors have extensive credits (full bios available on the Rubicon website). J'Laney Allen received an Audelco nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Play for Twelfth Night at Classical Theatre of Harlem. Chuckie Benson's credits include the First National Tour of Forbidden Broadway's Spamilton; DreamGirls at McCarter and Goodspeed; RENT, Once on This Island and The Three Musketeers at Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and The Wiz with Kokandy Productions, for which he was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supporting Role).

Diana Coates as Luciana performed with the Goodman Theatre in The Nacirema Society; Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing at Great River Shakespeare Festival; Henry V and The Winter's Tale with First Folio; and Our Town and Into the Breeches at Asolo Repertory Theatre. On TV, she has been seen in “Chicago PD,” “Chicago Fire,” and “Emperor of Ocean Park”. Several actors in the cast have had prior association with the works of August Wilson. Brian D. Coats appeared in the Broadway National Tour of Jitney with Manhattan Theatre Club; and King Hedley II, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Seven Guitars at Two River Theater. Other stage credits include the best we could (A Family Tragedy) at Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3; The Bacchae and The First Noel at The Public Theater. On TV, Coats has been in “Luke Cage,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “Law & Order.” Robert Cornelius has also had the opportunity to dive into the world of Wilson, with credits including Jitney at Arkansas Rep and Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Huntington Theatre. Cornelius' other credits include Where the Mountain Meets the Sea (Signature Theatre), Dreamgirls (Goodspeed and McCarter), Her Honor, Jane Byrne (Lookingglass Theatre Company), Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre), and Total Bent (About Face and Haven Theatre, Joseph Jefferson Award nomination). On television, he's appeared in “The Chi,” all three seasons of “South Side,” “Chicago PD,” “Shameless,” and “Turks.” James Milord won a New England Theatre Critics Awards for Wilson's King Hedley II at Actors Shakespeare Project and was nominated for a Norton for Joe Turner's Come and Goneat the Huntington Theatre. Additional Huntington credits are K-I-S-S-I-N-G., and Common Ground Revisited. On film, he has been seen in “Salem's Lot,” Honest Thief,” Proud Mary” and “The Brotherhood.”

Jeffrey Rashad's brings vast classical experience to his work it the repertory. He appeared in A Christmas Carol in Harlem with Classical Theatre of Harlem; The Comedy of Errors, The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Taming of the Shrew at The Old Globe. 

A versatile actor and award-winning theatre director, Michael A. Shepperd's credits include Little Shop of Horrors on Broadway; regional productions of Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan, Caroline, or Change, and The Whipping Man, and TV roles on “NCIS: Origins,” “Bosch,” “Why Women Kill,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Hot In Cleveland,” “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “Monk,” and “Criminal Minds.” DeAnna Supplee has also worked in multiple mediums, with credits including American Rot at La Mama; The Trojan Women at The Flea; Look/Alive at Edinburgh Fringe Festival; and “Elsbeth” and “Law and Order: SVU” on TV. 

The Creative Team for the shows in repertory is as follows: Irvin Mason Jr. (Associate Director, Two Trains Running),Tanya Orellana (Scenic Designer), Sarita Fellows (Costume Designer, The Comedy of Errors), Samantha C. Jones(Costume Designer, Two Trains Running), Jared Gooding (Lighting Designer), Lindsay Jones (Original Music and Sound Design), Anna Dorodnykh (Props Design), R. Christopher Maxwell (Stage Manager), Imani Ross (Assistant Stage Manager), Duane Boutté (Voice & Speech), Ann James (Intimacy Director/Sensitivity Specialist), Tommy Kurzman (Wig & Hair Design), and Martine Kei Green-Rogers (Dramaturg) with Stephanie L. Coltrin serving as Associate Artistic Director/Line Producer for Rubicon.

How the TAC Partnership HappenedAccording to Rubicon's Co-Founder and Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns, “We are deeply honored to have an opportunity to collaborate with TAC Artistic Director Kent Gash, Managing Director Erik Schroeder, and Producing Director Devin Brain. 

“We were brought together through our mutual friend Mark Ciglar of Cinevative in Los Angeles,” says Burns. “Mark knew that during this challenging time, both of our organizations were looking for like-minded partners with whom to share resources in order to fulfill our missions and remain focused on artistic excellence. Within a few minutes of meeting over the phone, we knew we were kindred spirits.”

“When the TAC staff mentioned William Shakespeare and August Wilson, we were all in,” continues Burns. “We had produced the first play chronologically in Mr. Wilson's Century Cycle, Gem of the Ocean, in 2012, and had since been looking for another opportunity to share his genius. (Gem featured Tony Winner Lillias White and a stellar cast, and was a Critic's Choice in the L.A. Times, described as “soul-stirring” and filled with “considerable power and eloquence”). 

Says Burns, “Mr. Wilson's Gem of the Ocean was a transcendent and mystical experience and is often mentioned by audience members as one of the most memorable plays in our history. We hope that the WinterFest will have a similar impact and looking forward to sharing all three plays with our audiences.” 

HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED

The third production in WinterFest, HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, stars Lance E. Nichols and is directed by Rubicon Artistic Associate Jenny Sullivan. The play offers a heartfelt glimpse into the life and legacy of August Wilson. Growing up in Pittsburgh's hardscrabble black Hill District, where many of his plays are set, Wilson battled racism, and, after dropping out of school at 15, read voraciously at the local library. HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED takes place two years before he completed the tenth and final play of the Pittsburgh Cycle. A one-person monologue, the play looks back on his remarkable career and forward to his goal of completing his celebration of the black experience. 

The play was co-conceived and developed by Wilson as a memoir play with fellow playwright Todd Kreidler (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?), who directed the premiere at Seattle Rep. The first production in 2003 starred Wilson in his only solo outing as an actor.

Lance E. Nichols returns to Rubicon for the production, having previously appeared as Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy (with Michael Learned) and in The Little Foxes (the latter directed by Sullivan). Nichols is a familiar face to thousands of film and television viewers. He is a veteran of 45 years as a working actor with over 220 credits to his name. Audiences may recognize him as Larry Williams from the HBO series “Treme,” Lucien from the USA series “Queen of the South,” The River King from the AMC series “Into the Badlands,” or Gene from the Netflix series “House of Cards.” He is often remembered for his film role is as the faith-healing preacher in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” In addition to Driving Miss Daisy, Lance's stage work includes Spunk at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Yellowman, The Breach, and August, Osage County at Southern Rep; and Clyde's at Portland Stage. 

At Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans, Nichols appeared in August Wilson's The Piano Lesson and had his first experience portraying the playwright in HOW I LEARNED…, later reprising the role at Portland Stage. Critics praised his captivating performance of August Wilson, highlighting his ability to embody the playwright's complex emotions, life experiences, and humor with a raw honesty that kept audiences engaged and enthralled. WYES-TV New Orleans called the show, “an impressive work by a great actor recalling a talented and tormented genius,” adding, “Nichols holds the rapt attention of the audience throughout the play. The Portland Press Herald called Nichols' performance “intelligent” and “moving.”

Nichols and Sullivan are thrilled to reunite to bring HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED… to Rubicon audiences as a part of the WinterFest. Sullivan has directed numerous productions for Rubicon over the last 25 years, including the World Premiere of The Baby Dance: Mixed and Defying Gravity (both by Jane Anderson), Hamlet with Joseph Fuqua and Stephanie Zimbalist, the American premiere of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with Gregory Harrison and Jeff Kober, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Joe Spano and Karyl Lynn Burns, and Women Beyond Borders.

Educational ComponentsDuring WinterFest, Rubicon and TAC are offering 10:00 a.m. student performances of TWO TRAINS RUNNING and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS for high school and college students. A study guide is provided and the performers and staff participate in a moderated post-show discussion with students about the themes and issues of the play and the process. Student ticket prices are also offered for all regularly scheduled stage performances of all three plays, including HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED. 

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS will also travel to area schools for 60-minute or 90-minute assemblies. After the presentation, the actors will break into small groups and rotate through classrooms with specific curricula tied to class studies.

For information about Rubicon's Education and Outreach programs, please call Ray Cuevas at (805) 667-2912, ext. 232. For discounted student tickets, call Guest Services at (805) 667-2900. 

For tickets to TWO TRAINS RUNNING, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS or HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, visit Rubicon Theatre Company Guest Services, located at 1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 (the corner or Laurel and Main Street). Hours are Noon to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturdays, excluding holidays, and will call opens 45 minutes before showtime in the upstairs lobby. Tickets are available in person, by phone at (805) 667-2900, or on the Rubicon website at www.rubicontheatre.org.

Regular tickets range from $35 to $79.50 for TWO TRAINS RUNNING and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Tickets for HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED are $35 to $54.50. All prices include ticket fees. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, and for with discounts for students, seniors, military, and members of Equity.

Opening night tickets for WinterFest and TWO TRAINS RUNNING on January 18 is $150 and includes a tax-deductible donation to Rubicon's Education Programs. The evening includes pre-show champagne and chocolates in The Rose Room downstairs at the theatre, a step-and-repeat, and a post-show party with dignitaries and special guests at the home of Randy Encinas and Rubicon Board President and Ventura Deputy Mayor Doug Halter. Shuttles will be provided to and from the theatre. 

Discounts tickets are also available to those who purchase a 4- or 5-play subscription to Rubicon's 2024-2025 “Dare to Dream” Season. Subscribers enjoy a range of benefits, including 15% off regular ticket prices, priority seating, advance access and discounts to special events like their VENTURA LIVE concert series, and other exclusive discounts. Subscription packages are available at multiple price points to accommodate diverse audiences. For information on subscription packages, visit: www.rubicontheatre.org/special-packages/season-subscription/ or call Guest Services at (805) 667-2900.  

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