Troy University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will open the 2026-2027 production season with Trains, a play written by Professor of Theatre Quinton Cockrell, running Thursday, Sept. 24 through Sept. 26 and Oct. 1 through Oct. 3 in the Trojan Center Theatre.

The theme for this season centers on the writers, creators and stories that connect us through the power of language and performance. Department Chair, Tori Lee Averett, said the theme came after choosing the titles. 

“We were looking for plays, musicals, and dance production ideas that were well-suited for our students and the things we want to reinforce in our experiential learning,” Averett said. “We noticed that many of the things we were finding had roots in great literature and/or new works. We decided to lean into that and found ourselves focusing on the power of the creative process, voices old and new, and the way that our work creates connection.”

The department’s approach this season centers on giving students real ownership of the creative process, said Averett.

“This year we’ll be emphasizing student leadership in all corners of the production process – from designing to directing, from managing to performing, and even the audience engagement aspects of our production work,” she said. “We really want students to take away a sense of empowerment and ownership that will prepare them to do this on their own in the future in Theatre and Dance. We also hope that they continue to strengthen and build community and connections among one another and with great works of theatre, dance, music, literature, and art.”

“Our two dance productions – Art in Motion and Unbound – will feature brand-new works being premiered, which really highlights and celebrates another facet of ‘original voices’ and first-time creative work being shared,” Averett continued. “We are also delighted to welcome our new faculty and students to the department and see their wonderful creative work in action this season.”

Trains, which premiered at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA earlier this year, began as a monologue about the Corbin, Kentucky Expulsion in 1919 and the lasting trauma caused by racially motivated violence.

Cockrell said he is thrilled to be working on the play at TROY and shared about the production process at the Barter Theatre.

“I was not involved in production aspects of Trains at Barter,” he said. “Most of the time in professional theatre, the playwright just provides the play, and the theatre produces it. That’s it. For the Barter production, I arrived one day before the first preview for audiences. As a ninety-three-year-old producing organization, Barter is a play production machine!  Aside from a few questions and minor changes to the script, my primary role was to watch what they had created. It was a life-changing experience to see my play in the hands of professionals! I will treasure the experience forever.”

Cockrell said his involvement at TROY has been much more hands-on.

“Here at TROY, I have been involved in every aspect of the production, from conceptual thoughts to design/construction, and rehearsals,” he said. “Also, I am playing a major role in a play I wrote! The director, Tori Lee Averett, has focused on educating students while trying to mount the best possible production. I have learned so much from our discussions about my own play and myself!”

He hopes that audiences walk away from Trains with an understanding that history is real and that truth objectively exists.

“History should not be glossed over or spun to fulfill an agenda,” he said. “How can we learn from past mistakes if we do not admit they happened? Also, traumatic events stay with us, often in ways we do not perceive or understand. Lastly, love, sincere and enduring, is possible between people of very different backgrounds and points of view. That does not mean, of course, that we know how to express it or that it always works out, but it is real.”

Tickets for Trains are $15 and can be bought here or at the Trojan Center box office near Barnes and Noble. For more information, call 334-808-6142 or email theatreanddance@troy.edu.