Berkshire on Stage

“Nobody is free until everybody is free.” So declared Black activist Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper’s daughter with a 6^th grade education who, at the age of 44, learned she could register to vote and who rapidly rose to prominence as a defender of Civil Rights. She co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and gained national attention for her impassioned speech at the 1964 Democratic Convention. Her personal story of poverty, of the threats and violence she endured, and her message of hope and resilience is not merely history, it is a clarion call for our times as well.

Chester Theatre Company’s latest summer offering of FANNIE: THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF FANNIE LOU HAMER is absolutely thrilling, from the first glorious gospel hymn to the final touching moment. In a mere 70 minutes we are taken on a roller coaster ride of a fervent activist whose love and compassion are tested but never forsaken. Shannon Lamb gives an ardent and electrifying performance as Fannie. She is ably supported by Kevin Sharpe who provides the accompaniment on piano and organ, and the occasional few lines that help us feel we are part of the congregation or convention where Fannie is taking her message—“nobody is free until everybody is free.” Lamb has a gorgeous voice, and she engages the audience to sing along and clap and feel part of the hope and vision for a better world for us all. Lamb is also a formidable actress, perfectly capturing Hamer’s joy and humor, the pain and suffering, the devotion and hope, and the relentless energy that defined this force of nature. Yet there is subtlety in her characterization so the nuances are not lost in the wake of this sometimes larger than life character.

Director Gilbert McCauley has masterfully staged this work. We are pulled into Fannie’s story and compelled to follow it, as she wages her sustained struggle for voting rights and economic justice, becoming the first Black women to run for congress, earning awards and multiple honorary doctorates, and recognition as the “First Lady of Civil Rights.” The pacing provides a steady build, buoyed up by the inspiring gospel songs of freedom. McCauley’s effective staging is enabled by Jeremy Winchester’s simple set design and evocative projections of footage from iconic moments of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. Other design elements by Greg Wilson (lighting), LaToya Murray-Berry (costumes), and James McNamara (sound) add to the overall effectiveness of the theatre experience. 

FANNIE: THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF FANNIE LOU HAMER is resounding success for the Chester Theatre Company. Friday night’s performance had a full house and the audience immediately sprung to their feet, responding with unparallelled enthusiasm and shouts. It was a fitting conclusion to a remarkable evening of theatre.

Credits

Playwright: Cheryl L. West

Director: Gilbert McCauley

Music Director: Kevin Sharpe

Scenic & Projection Design: Jeremy Winchester

Lighting Design: Greg Wilson

Costume Design: LaToya Murray-Berry

Sound Design: James McNamara

Cast:

Fannie Lou Hamer – Shannon Lamb

Musician = Kevin Sharpe

Information

FANNIE: THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF FANNIE LOU HAMER, July 2-12, 2026. 

Box Office: 413-354-7771

Running time: 70 minutes / no intermission

Theatre: Chester Theatre Company

Address: Town Hall Theatre, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA 01011

Closing date: July 12

Website: chestertheatre.org