Local and regional theater companies collaborate to bring Fannie Lou Hamer’s life story and music to Pittsburgh
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.
