{"id":9457,"date":"2026-02-25T20:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.troy.edu\/trojanvision\/?p=9457"},"modified":"2026-02-25T20:57:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:57:20","slug":"troy-theatre-professor-takes-his-play-to-virginias-state-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.troy.edu\/trojanvision\/2026\/02\/25\/troy-theatre-professor-takes-his-play-to-virginias-state-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Troy theatre professor takes his play to Virginia’s state theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION<\/a>) \u2014 A Troy University theatre professor’s play that centers on Black history\u00a0featured is now running inside Barter Theatre<\/a> in Virginia.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On October 31st<\/sup>\u00a01919\u00a0in Corbin, Kentucky<\/a>, the white residents\u00a0of\u00a0Corbin\u00a0forced\u00a0all of\u00a0the Black residents onto train cars and shipped them to Knoxville, Tennessee\u00a0in an attempt to\u00a0make the population of the town\u00a0all-white.\u00a0Over\u00a0100 years later, Troy professor, Quinten Cockrell is\u00a0bringing that piece of history to life with a\u00a0play set 13 years later, called Trains<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRight now, I\u2019m pretty obsessed with the idea of Trauma and how it can affect you,” Cockrell said, when describing the inspiration behind the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The play originally started as a monologue, was lengthened into a 10-minute scene before ultimately becoming a full play. Each version explored the trauma of one of the men removed from the town. Every rendition was shown in Virginia\u2019s state theatre, Barter Theatre\u2019s Black Stories, Black Voices<\/a> series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don’t want to overuse the term, but it was a life-changing experience,” Cockrell said. “It was really exciting to see, you know, professional, experienced actors up there saying your words and they\u2019re so talented that you find yourself doubting \u2018is the play good or is it just the actors that are good?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2026: Students Reflect on legacy and culture during Black History Month<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Trains, a white\u00a0man from Corbin contacts the Black family that used to work for his family\u00a0in an attempt to\u00a0make amends, but the\u00a0theme is not as simple as it may seem. Cockrell wanted to tackle issues that would force the audience to look introspectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are people I want to make angry, there I people want to feel validated, there are people I want to hold a mirror up and make people look at life as opposed to just experiencing it,” Cockrell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, Cockrell wants people to understand there\u2019s always two side to every story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really important not to forget that others are part of the tapestry”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cockrell returned from Virginia on Monday as one of his students prepares to leave for Virginia to have his monologue featured in the same series. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) \u2014 A Troy University theatre professor’s play that centers on Black history\u00a0featured is now running inside Barter Theatre in Virginia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On October 31st\u00a01919\u00a0in Corbin, Kentucky, the white residents\u00a0of\u00a0Corbin\u00a0forced\u00a0all of\u00a0the Black residents onto train cars and shipped them to Knoxville, Tennessee\u00a0in an attempt to\u00a0make the population of the town\u00a0all-white.\u00a0Over\u00a0100 years later, Troy professor,…<\/p>\n

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