Asolo Rep to Launch Rolling World Premiere of FANNIE: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer

Asolo Rep is continuing its 2021 outdoor season with the launch of the rolling world premiere of Cheryl L. West's Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. Directed by Henry Godinez (Resident Artistic Associate at Goodman Theatre) with Music Direction and Arrangements by Felton Offard, Asolo Rep will start the "roll," followed by productions to be announced at Goodman Theatre and Seattle Rep. Fannie previews February 16 -19, opens February 20 and runs through March 3 on Asolo Rep's newly constructed outdoor Terrace Stage, located on the front steps of the FSU Center for the Performing Arts.

Originally commissioned by Goodman Theatre and Seattle Rep, Fannie tells the impassioned story of American civil rights activist and hero, Fannie Lou Hamer. Part theater, part revival, and all power - this one-woman show with music will have you head nodding and hand clapping from start to finish. From her humble origins as the daughter of a Mississippi sharecropper, to co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and demanding recognition at the National Democratic Convention, hers is a story of justice that will not be denied.

Asolo Rep audiences will remember E. Faye Butler from her tour-de-force performance as Queenie in Show Boat (2013). A nine-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner, E. Faye is a celebrated performer whose work has been seen across the country, including Paper Mill Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, Steppenwolf Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse and more.

Director Henry Godinez is the Resident Artistic Associate at Goodman Theatre, where he is also the director of the Latino Theatre Festival, and a professor in the Department of Theatre at Northwestern University. He is the co-founder and former artistic director of Teatro Vista and has directed at Goodman Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Signature Theatre Company in NYC, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre and Colorado Shakespeare Festival.

"Fannie Lou's story is so significant today because sadly the issues she faced in the 1960s are all too relevant today; voter suppression, racial divisions, and social inequities," said Director Henry Godinez. "Fannie lived her patriotism and what it means to be an American in the marrow of her bones. The faith she had in the constitution and the price she paid for her unshakable belief in it, was so much greater than most of us can ever imagine. I hope audiences will leave the theatre appreciating the rights we have as Americans, truly believing that each of us can make a difference if we vote and make our voices heard."

Music Director and Arranger Felton Offard is a guitarist, composer, producer and educator. He was a touring and house guitarist for several Broadway shows including Hamilton (Chicago), The Color Purple, Jersey Boys, The Addams Family and more.

Helen Hayes/McArthur Award-winning playwright Cheryl L. West's work has been seen on Broadway (Play On!), Off-Broadway and in regional theaters throughout the country, including Seattle Rep, Arena Stage, Old Globe, Goodman Theatre, Indiana Rep and more. Her plays include Shout Sister, Shout!, The Watsons Go To Birmingham, 1963, Last Stop on Market Street, Akeelah and the Bee, and more.

"Fannie Lou Hamer was a woman of incredible passion with an unstoppable drive for justice," said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "We are thrilled to collaborate with two of our country's leading regional theaters to bring her story to life. It is written by the immensely talented Cheryl L. West and performed by E. Faye Butler, who is herself an unstoppable force on stage. Expertly shaped by Henry Godinez as director, this is exactly the story we need right now to galvanize us towards creating a brighter, more equitable future through joyous study of our past heroes."

Health and Safety Protocols
Asolo Rep Outdoor Performances

Following the guidance of government health officials, Asolo Rep has implemented several policies to help make your experience as smooth and safe as possible.

· Advanced ticket sales only, cut off is two hours prior to performance. No walk-up sales.

· Upon arrival at venue, patrons, staff and volunteers will receive no-contact infra-red temperature checks.

· Contactless Entry: print at home tickets can be printed or scanned from phone

· Masks are required to be worn over the nose and mouth by patrons, staff, and volunteers at all times when on the premises

· Concessions will not be available for purchase and food and drinks are not allowed in the seating area.

· Performances will have no intermission.

· Outdoor venue seats 250.

· Seats are arranged in socially distanced pairs and cannot be moved. Larger parties will be seated as close as safety protocols allow.

· No physical playbills; performance information will be projected on large screens, emailed to patrons, and available on Asolo Rep's website.

· Portable outdoor restrooms will be available.

· Patrons will not have access to the building.

· Hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the venue.

· Prior to and following each performance, all seats and common areas will be disinfected with an electrostatic sprayer.

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