At a time of year when we officially pay tribute to the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it is fitting that we in Pittsburgh also can join in a celebration of another civil rights leader, courtesy of Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hammer.
The one-woman musical by Cheryl L. West will spend the weekend at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, telling the story of the 1960s activist “whose bravery, humor and grit reminds us that there’s courage in the face of fire, hope in tomorrow and that we all have a stake in our country.”
Fannie Lou Hamer will be embodied by Robin McGee, who first portrayed Hamer for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater Company.
“Robin McGee holds the audience in her grasp with compelling power …
in a story that urges the audience to action,” wrote critic Benjamin Carr of ArtsATL.
“The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is honored to host this incredible play about Fannie Lou Hamer and to make it the center of our Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration,” said Janis Burley Wilson, AWAACC president and CEO. “We look forward to inviting the entire community to learn more about Ms. Hamer’s life and to be reminded of her fight for justice and equality.”
Mississippi native Hamer, who died at age 59 in 1977, was born into a share-cropping family and entered the fields at age 6. She later was elevated to the position of timekeeper because she could read and write. In 1961, she received a hysterectomy by a white doctor without her consent while undergoing surgery to remove a uterine tumor. Such forced sterilization of Black women, according to Hamer’s biography on the National Women’s History Museum website, “was a way to reduce the Black population.” Hamer later adopted three daughters, one of whom will be in Pittsburgh for opening night on Friday.
“It is difficult to advance justice, without a clear understanding of history and a deep connection to the Spirit that guided leaders like Fannie Lou Hamer,” said Shaunda McDill, founder and producer of DEMASKUS Theater Collective. “We are grateful for this collaborative opportunity as well as the tremendous gift of welcoming Jaqueline Hamer Flakes, daughter of Fannie Lou Hamer, to Pittsburgh to witness this special premiere.”
Hamer became a voting rights advocate and gained national renown as she co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which challenged the local Democratic Party’s efforts to block Black participation.
FANNIE tells the real life story of a valiant fight for equal opportunities and Black participation in the democratic process, “infused with spirituals, protest songs and the conviction that nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
The musical, directed by Joy Vandervort-Cobb, is a co-production of Kenny Leon’s True Color Theater Company in Atlanta and Actors Theatre of Louisville, brought to Pittsburgh as a co-presentation by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, City Theatre and DEMASKUS Theater Collective.
“When I first read the extraordinary script from playwright Cheryl West, I knew that I wanted to find a way for this show to be seen here in Pittsburgh,” said Monteze Freeland, co-artistic director at City Theatre. “I am so grateful to our friends at DEMASKUS and AWAACC, along with our partners at True Colors Theater Company and Actors Theatre of Louisville, for coming together to make it possible. We are all in for a profound experience as we experience the life of Fannie Lou Hamer and witness the incredible artistry of this production directed by Joy Vandervort-Cobb and featuring Robin McGee, who performs so brilliantly the role of Fannie.”
Fannie: The Life and Times of Fannie Lou Hammer is at the August Wilson AfricanAmerican Cultural Center January 13 to 16, 2023. Tickets and details: https://awc.culturaldistrict.org/production/84136/fannie-the-music-and-life-of-fannie-lou-hamer
Categories: Show Previews
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