Cindy Bandle Young Critics Blog

If you’re dying to know what life― emotionally and physically― was like in late 1960’s black communities of Pittsburgh, you won’t need to build a time machine in your garage. Come to the Goodman instead, and see one of August Wilson’s “Century Cycle” plays, “Two Trains Running.”

Are you African-American and/or a feminist? Do you believe in equal rights? Do you consider yourself a person who fights for what he/she believes in? Well, then, the current offering at the Goodman Theatre may be your cup of tea. Or may change your perspective of things.

Although August Wilson left the world too soon, he left behind a legacy: his eye-opening plays. The Goodman Theatre’s production of Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” was no exception to that legacy.

Rapture, Blister, Burn is a show as intriguing as its title. Steeped in wit, quip, and honesty the show is a lesson in feminist history and an exploration of what it means to be a woman today.Rapture raises crucial questions. While the topic of many classic plays seems to be about manhood, this one is about womanhood. It speaks to those intricate, complicated parts that come with the gender. The audience is made to think long and hard about ‘the way things are’ for women, and then think harder; wondering ‘is there another way’? And while the show is about women, it’s no tune-out or turn-off for men either.