Jan 13, 2023 2 min read

The August Wilson African American Cultural Center, City Theatre Company and DEMASKUS Theater Collective will co-present the story of voting-rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer in the Pittsburgh premiere of “Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer.”

The production will be staged at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center now through Monday. This project marks the first collaboration between these three performing arts organizations. They are equally sharing in the planning, promotion and fundraising. It was first seen last summer in Atlanta at Kenny Leon’s True Color Theater Company, and more recently at Actors Theatre of Louisville in Kentucky.

“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.

The play tells the story, through music and song, of Fannie Lou Hamer, a voting and women’s rights activist, community organizer, and a leader in the civil rights movement. The co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and the National Women’s Political Caucus, she also organized the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964. “Fannie” celebrates her historical journey, from sharecropper to political force, and the impact she has had on generations that have come after her.

“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 the DEMASKUS Theater Collective. McDill also said that Jacqueline Hamer Flakes, the daughter of Fannie Lou Hamer, will be attending the Pittsburgh premiere.

Showtimes are Sunday at 2 p.m. and a pay-what-you-can performance Monday at 4 p.m.

Tickets or additional information are available by going online to awc.culturaldistrict.org or by calling 412-339-1008.