We are so happy to be welcoming you to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for this production of Cheryl L. West’s Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer, directed by Henry Godinez. For the past sixteen months, we’ve been deeply missing live theatre on our stages, but filling that need with groundbreaking digital programming on our new O! platform as we planned for our reopening and the future OSF.
When and how to open our theaters in 2021 was an important decision for us—one of our biggest as a team since David joined OSF in September 2020. But we knew that we needed to open, not just for the Festival, but for our community and partners in Ashland and the Rogue Valley that is our home. We’re grateful that circumstances have allowed us to open earlier than we initially thought possible and to see the Allen Elizabethan Theatre activated from July to October of this year. (And our very first holiday show brings back our beloved Bowmer Theatre in November!)
Key to opening safely and affordably this summer was finding a show with a small cast and a big message. And while the former requirement took many options off the table (including our namesake playwright), we are thrilled that our comeback to in-person performance is with this powerful play about Fannie Lou Hamer, a rarely celebrated giant of the Civil Rights Movement. Performed by OSF favorite Greta Oglesby and powered by an amazing song list, this inspiring play couldn’t be more timely. As we watch voting rights under attack around the country, Fannie Lou Hamer’s call to action is as important today as it was at her time: “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”
Thank you again for joining us for our reopening season. Whether you are longtime OSF lover or new to our unique brand of artistry, we’re so excited to have you with us!
Nataki Garrett
Artistic Director
David Schmitz
Executive Director