'Fannie' tells of one woman's quest for voting rights

Greta Oglesby plays Fannie Lou Hamer. (Kevin Berne photo)

 

“Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer,” presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, should be a must-see for students.

This one-woman play, written by Cheryl L. West and featuring Greta Oglesby, details Hamer’s brave efforts to secure voting rights for Black people in the 1960s.

She was 44, a Mississippi sharecropper with only a sixth grade education and the youngest of 20 children, when she attended a meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and became a tireless advocate for voting rights.

Her activism led to her and her husband being forced to leave their plantation home, thus losing their home, jobs and possessions. She received death threats. Nevertheless she persisted.

In one harrowing scene, she describes being arrested and thrown into a cell with five Black men who were ordered to beat her or risk severe punishment themselves.

Her story is interspersed with songs like “This Little Light of Mine” and “We Shall Not Be Moved” that have the audience singing and clapping along with her. She’s accompanied by a three-man band seated upstage. Music director is Morgan Stevenson.

Directed by Tim Bond, TheatreWorks artistic director, Oglesby’s performance is a tour-de-force of brilliant acting and singing.

Projections by Miko S. Simmons illustrate the events and people who also were devoted to the cause with photos from that time. Viewers who are old enough to remember that turbulent period in history will surely recognize them.

Andrea Bechert’s scenic design includes pro-voting rights signs adorning the theater’s walls. Costumes by Lydia Tanji, lighting by Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz and sound by Gregory Robinson add to the enjoyment.

The reason why this play is so important for students to see is that it has such relevance to events today, when some political leaders are trying to suppress voting rights, especially by people of color. TheatreWorks recognizes this and has scheduled a student matinee for 11 a.m. March 30.

Running about 70 minutes without intermission, “Fannie” will continue through April 2 at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

For tickets and information, call (877) 662-8978 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

 

 

 

 

'Perfect Arrangement' at Hillbarn resonates today

 

Norma (Leslie Waggoner, left), Millie (Amanda Farbstein), Jim (Alex Rodriguez) and Bob (Brad Satterwhite) discuss their dilemma. (Photo by Tracy Martin)

Although Topher Payne’s “Perfect Arrangement,” being staged by Hillbarn Theatre and Conservatory, is set in the very early ’50s, it resonates today.

Back then, officialdom focused on rooting out Communists in government and other areas and then extended its reach to homosexuals who could be blackmailed into revealing government secrets.

Today the focus is on “wokeness” and “don’t say gay,” especially in schools.

Inspired by a true story, “Perfect Arrangement” features two gay couples, one male, one female, who enter legal but sham marriages to hide their true leanings. They live in adjoining apartments with a walk-in closet connecting them.

One of the men, Bob Martindale (Brad Satterwhite), is a State Department official tasked with identifying and removing employees deemed security risks.

Norma Baxter (Leslie Waggoner), the wife of his partner, high school teacher Jim Baxter (Alex Rodriguez), is Bob’s secretary. Millie Martindale (Amanda Farbstein) is Bob’s wife and Norma’s partner.

Bob manages his job well until his boss, Theodore Sunderson (John Mannion), orders him to go after gays, too, leading to an ethical and moral dilemma for the couples.

With the appearance of Barbara Grant (Tanya Marie), a State Department employee who had been living overseas, the couples’ arrangement starts to unravel.

As pressures mount and pretenses become more difficult to maintain, the four spouses must decide whether to stay in the closet or come out and face the certain fallout in hopes of paving the way toward acceptance of themselves and others.

All of this makes for serious subject matter, but the play is billed as a comedy. Yes, it has some inherently amusing moments but director Tyler Christie has the excellent cast overplaying the comedy. Toning it down would be beneficial.

This is especially true in the early scene with the two couples plus Bob’s boss and his high society wife, Kitty Sunderson (Erica Wyman). The three women squeal like overexcited teenagers at a rock concert. Thus it’s a relief when the two couples are  alone.

This production benefits from its design elements, such as the stylish costumes by Bethany Deal.

The comfortable living room set, with its symbolic walk-in closet, is by D’Angelo Reyes. It’s supposedly occupied by the Martindales, but it’s actually the women’s home. The men live next door.

Sound by Jules Indelecato and lighting by Aya Matsutomo enhance the production.

Running about two hours with an intermission, “Perfect Arrangement” will continue through March 26 at Hillbarn Theatre, 1285 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City. For tickets and information, call (650) 349-6411 or visit www.hillbarntheatre.org.

Foothill stages terrific 'Into the Woods'

 

Kama Belloni (left) as Jack's mother,  Ryan Liu as Jack and Mateo Urquidez handling Milky White. (David Allen photo)

Combine Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack of beanstalk fame and Rapunzel with some other characters and you get the 1987 Tony-winning musical “Into the Woods” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, being given a terrific production by Foothill Music Theatre.

Opening with the classic lines, “Once upon a time,” the show has each major character saying, “I wish.” While those wishes come true in the first act, which is mostly bright with some chuckles along the way, the second act turns darker. There’s very little happily ever after.

Foothill director Milissa Carey skillfully guides the 20-member cast, a mix of students and community members. Each performer creates a believable character and blends into the ensemble. Because every performer does so well, it’s difficult to single anyone out.

The story is introduced by the affable narrator (Michael Paul Hirsch, who also plays the mysterious man).

Soon we meet Cinderella (Sam Mills), who wishes to go to the festival. Then there’s Little Red Riding Hood (Mai Abe), who buys bread from the Baker (James Schott) and the Baker’s Wife (Alicia Teeter) before going into the woods to visit her grandmother.

The not-too-bright Jack (Ryan Liu) has a pet cow, Milky White (manipulated by Mateo Urquidez), but she gives no milk. Therefore, his mother (Kama Belloni) wants to sell her.

The baker and his wife want a child, but they learn from the witch (Caitlin Gjerdrum) that she has put a spell on his house, rendering him childless because his father made a mess of her garden.

In order to break the spell, they must go into the woods to find four items in three days. In their quest, they encounter the other fairy tale characters.

This show features Sondheim’s memorable music as well as his fast-paced, witty lyrics. For example, Jack’s mother sings that Milky White’s “withers wither with her,” and the witch names all the vegetables, such as rutabaga and arugula, that the baker’s father ruined.

In addition to Carey’s direction and the talented cast, this production benefits from Yusuke Soi’s set design, which easily flows from one setting to the next despite the small stage.

Also noteworthy are the costumes by Sharon Peng, choreography by Kayvon Kordestani, sound by Andy Heller and lighting by Pamila Gray. Music director Michael Horsley leads the nine-member orchestra, seated upstage, from the keyboard.

Despite its fairy tale themes and because of the events of the second act, this show isn’t suitable for youngsters.

Running about two hours and 40 minutes with an intermission, “Into the Woods” will continue through March 19 in the Lohman Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. For tickets and information, call (650) 949-7360 or visit www.foothill.edu/theatre.