August Wilson House celebrates America’s greatest playwright with substantial insider interviews, with leading August Wilson actors, directors and artists, national and regional. Hosted and moderated  by Chris Rawson, veteran Pittsburgh Post-Gazette theater critic who chronicled Wilson’s career and became a friend. The goal is to capture the memories, anecdotes and insights of those who know Wilson’s epic American Century Cycle from the inside.

This is an unusual interview for Actors Talk August: a duo of young actors just finishing their first August Wilson play. Brenden Peifer and Melessie Clark are playing Sterling and Risa in “Two Trains Running,” directed by Justin Emeka at Pittsburgh Public Theater (through June 19). Their first encounter with August Wilson traditions, characters and an experienced cast feeds plenty of thought by two lively, smart, responsive professionals just starting their August Wilson journeys.

Each previous edition can be viewed via the links below:

1) Oct. 19 ATA Featuring Eugene Lee and Wali Jamal

3) Nov. 16 ATA Featuring Mark Clayton Southers

4) Dec. 7 ATA Featuring Ruben Santiago-Hudson

6) Jan 18 ATA Featuring Stephen McKinley Henderson

12) April 19 ATA featuring James Williams

17) Oct 4 ATA Featuring Narda E. Alçcorn 

21) Dec 06 ATA Featuring Todd Kreidler(2)

24) Feb 7 ATA Featuring Mark Clayton Southers(2)

25) Feb 21 ATA Featuring Jerome Preston Bates

August Wilson House (AWH) is Wilson’s Hill District childhood home at 1727 Bedford Ave. It is being restored as an arts center that will promote his artistic and cultural legacy while nurturing the artists of the future. Although the restoration won’t be finished until 2022, AWH is already sponsoring a wide range of programs including the annual Hill District Block Party/Community Festival, backyard productions in collaboration with Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater, AWH Fellowships in collaboration with Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh, August in the Schools (debuting this fall), several oral history projects and other programs centering community engagement.

Actors Talk August Presented by August Wilson House: Brenden Peifer and Melessie Clark