Freshmen Experience Theatre in the City: Photogallery

Dr. Mike VanderWeele, professor of English, recently accompanied students from his Introduction to Literature course to the Goodman Theatre’s “College Night” production of “Two Trains Running.” The event included a reception with pizza beforehand and an interview with one of the actors.

The play, written by August Wilson, tells the story of a neighborhood in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1969 caught between the hope of the civil rights movement and the struggles of discrimination.

Afterward reading and then attending the play, student pairs wrote reviews for the Courier, Trinity’s student newspaper.

“Students had a chance to read and discuss the play, do some background computer research on August Wilson and the Pittsburgh series, see it performed at a major Chicago theater, and then write about it for a larger Courier audience.  It seemed to me like a rich experience,” VanderWeele said.

In this introductory course, the English department introduces students to theater and the city, often by attending productions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater or Court Theater.

Jared Mulder ’18 of Delvan, Wisconsin, said, “We read the play in class, but seeing it performed was helpful in my understanding of it. The theater was very nice and one of the coolest sets I have seen. Overall it was great experience.”