We are shouting it out to two fantastic art happenings this month!
First, we want to lift up the phenomenal local playwright, Cheryl West, who happens to be the most produced modern playwright at the Seattle Repertory Theatre! West's latest production, Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer, co-commissioned by Seattle Rep and Chicago’s Goodman Theatre (for the 2019 New Stages Festival), is finally getting its Seattle stage premiere. The one-woman show is being performed by E. Faye Butler in the Bagley Wright Theater at Seattle Rep and is running from January 14 through February 13, 2022.
West is a much-beloved artist, not only at home but internationally. Currently, West is under commission through Seattle Rep's Pubic Works program, allowing her to pursue her writing full-time. She has written nearly two dozen plays and her work has been presented on stage, television, and film and includes “Pullman Porter Blues,” “Jar the Floor” and “Holiday Heart." She has received numerous honors from a multitude of respected organizations.
At the Seattle Rep, Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer, tells the impassioned story of American civil rights activist and hero, Fannie Lou Hamer. 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. We highly recommend this brilliant and timely piece of theater.
For more information and to purchase tickets (streaming option available) visit Seattle Rep's website.
The Black and Tan Collection at MOHAI
Gifted local painter Bonnie Hopper has created oil paintings of renowned musicians who played at the legendary Black and Tan Club for this special weekend-long exhibit happening at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) here in Seattle. From February 19th through February 21st, visit MOHAI to view the artist's tribute to the club and honor the legendary musical acts and local bands that played for patrons of all races for nearly five decades, as one of the first interracial establishments in Seattle! On Saturday, Feb. 19th from 10 AM to 5 PM, along with the paintings, you can enjoy live music hosted by the Black and Tan Project.
The exhibit is free with purchase of admission to the museum. For tickets and more info visit MOHAI's website.
