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Historical Background and Dramaturgy

Photo of Alfred H. Wilson, Ronald L. Conner, and A.C. Smith by Michael Brosilow.

Explore the historical context of Two Trains Running and the dramaturgy underpinning Court Theatre’s production.

Historical Background

The Civil Rights Movement
- The Civil Rights Movement: 10 Key Concepts (Article)
- SNCC’s Legacy: A Civil Rights History (6:00)
- The Freedom Riders – Civil Rights Movement (5:00)
- From the archives: 1963 March on Washington covered by CBS News’ Walter Cronkite (18:00)
- What Was “Freedom Summer”? | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE (3:00)
- Marching From Selma to Mongomery (7:00)
- What was the Voting Rights Act of 1965? (3:00)
- A Look Back: The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (6:00)
The Black Power Movement
- The Foundations of Black Power (Article)
- Stokely Carmichael on his black power speech (3:00)
- The often misunderstood legacy of the Black Panther Party (10:00)
- Malcolm X on Front Page Challenge, 1965: CBC Archives | CBC (8:00)

Dramaturgy

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
- Construction and criticism: The history, mission and inner workings of Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (Article)
- The Renewal of Pittsburgh’s Hill District (29:00)
1960s Pittsburgh

Several hundred people fill the street and march toward the camera, walking arm and arm. At the front of the photo there are four men - two with sunglasses, one with an afro, and one with a hat, all in collared shirts and suits. — Marchers link arms as they make their way down Centre Avenue. Image courtesy of Morris Berman/Post-Gazette.

Newspaper with the headline: "King Assassinated in Memphis; LBJ Delays Trip to Honolulu." There is a photo of MLK beneath it, Including several subheadings, reading: "Negro Leader Shot at Motel; Violence Erupts, City Leaders Express Grief in King’s Death." — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette front page, Friday, April 5, 1968. Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

A billboard divided into two side-by-side sections. The left one reads: “Attention City Hall and URA: NO Redevelopment Beyond this Point.” The right side reads: “Low Income Housing for the Lower Hill.” — Billboard at the corner of Crawford Street and Centre Avenue, denouncing the redevelopment of the lower Hill District, 1969. Image courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art, Heinz Family Fund.

Several people gathered on a street in the foreground, with a restaurant in the background with the sign “Ted & Doug’s Diner/Home Cooked Food.” Several more people are gathered right around the restaurant, and across the street looking towards it. — Crowds of people gather near Ted and Doug’s Diner on Centre Avenue in the Hill District (1969/1970). Image courtesy of Frank Floyd Hightower Photograph Collection.

Three boys in the foreground play with a ball, three women in the background walk through the street facing away from the camera. — Centre’s intersection with Heldman Street. Image courtesy of Morris Berman/Post-Gazette.

Posted on May 29, 2026 in Learning Guides, Productions

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