Local Resident Performs Oct. 9 at Carnegie Hall Portraying Fannie Lou Hamer

Who are the characters audience members will meet during the Oct. 9 performance of “Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall”? Well, there’s Fannie Lou Hamer, of course. But there also are several historically inspired fictional characters who help tell Mrs. Hamer’s story and give some insight -- from various viewpoints -- into the mindset, thinking and culture of the time period: rural Mississippi in the early 1960’s.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the characters in “Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall,” and the actors who will portray them.

The title character, Fannie Lou Hamer, is in her mid-40’s when the action begins. She’s never voted in her life. However, once she decides to exercise her right, the poor and uneducated Mississippi sharecropper is turned away by authorities. Then and there, she decides to fight for her rights. It turns out to be a long and hard battle.

Karen Stefano portrays the title character. Karen, whose credits include Spike Lee’s acclaimed film “Malcolm X” and the TV soap opera “All My Children,” said she was drawn to the role of Fannie Lou because of the voting rights leader’s valiance.

“I’m so blessed to be able to play this woman, who is such an inspiration,” said Karen. “She’s a hero.”

Not so heroic is the character Junior, the 17-year-old son of one of Fannie Lou’s friends. Junior can’t understand why the grown-ups around him are fighting so hard for voting rights. They’re never going to be allowed to vote freely, so why even try? Junior’s pessimism is fueled by a tragic event that occurred years ago.

It is the job of Jonathan Rodriguez, who portrays the teen, to unveil the deepest layers of the character to audiences. Jonathan played Junior in the 2012 Off-Broadway premiere of Fannie Lou. It is a role he continues to grow into as he finds ways to relay aspects of a character who is very much unlike himself.

Keeping Junior -- and much of the rest of the African American community -- in check is Rev. Hill, the leader of the local voting rights struggle. He has a very tricky job. He has to establish and maintain his authority, while at the same time preserve his own existence within an oppressive system.

Michael Moss portrays Rev. Hill. Michael, a gifted and versatile actor who developed his skills while a student at Harvard University, does double duty for the Oct. 9 production. He’ll also play the the role of Clarence, an African-American inmate ordered to beat Fannie Lou. Michael, who played Clarence in the 2012 Off-Broadway premiere of Fannie Lou, gives a tour-de-force performance.

“Michael nailed it at the audition,” said composer/lyricist Felicia Hunter. “Clarence is a very complicated character. At the audition Michael got the script, plus a few background specifics about Clarence, and that’s it. He nailed it. Michael was so good. He was Clarence. I think when audiences see him in that role they will be amazed by his performance.”

A far cry from Clarence, the character Pamela is idealistic and enthusiastic. A college student volunteering her time to help with the voter registration movement, Pam’s greatest fault is that she believes exuberance alone can accomplish peace and understanding. Decades before the Rodney King incident, Pam’s can’t-we-all-just-get-along philosophy ignores the impact of centuries-old prejudice entrenched by customs, practices and legal sanctions.

Claire Duncan perfectly inhabits the role of Pamela. An accomplished actress with a varied resume of stage and screen credits, Claire’s portrayal of Pam delivers just the right mix of grit and vulnerability, awareness and naiveté.

The Richards family, the county’s wealthiest, represents the old guard. Or rather, Mr. Richards does. A staunch segregationist, he is prepared to use his wealth and power to maintain the status quo. His wife isn’t quite as entrenched as he is, but she supports whatever her husband says. So, she does what she can to support Mr. Richards’ segregationist views. Their son, David, has been exposed to new ideas, however. While like his mom he unquestionably loves and supports his father, it’s just a matter of time before David’s conscience forces him to question the cultural tradition in which he’s been raised. Mr. Richards, Mrs. Richards and David Richards will be portrayed by Dean Temple, Lynn Flickinger and Robert Rice, respectively, for the Oct. 9 performance of “Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall.”

“I love being in the ‘Make It Like It Was Before’ group,” said Robert, referring to one of the most popular songs in the production. A resounding audience favorite, “Make It Like It Was Before” follows a local white resister group as members devise a “solution” to the “troublemakers” and “agitators” who are disturbing their peaceful existence.

Robert, a stage veteran who began his career in children’s theater, said a key to portraying antagonistic characters is finding something in them that he, and audience members, can relate to. “I try to find something relatable and something likable” about characters he portrays who happen to be antagonists, Robert says. “Even though those guys [singing ‘Make It Like It Was Before’] are kind of despicable,” they’re products of their environment, he notes.

Attempting to avoid any environmental influences, the Reporter writes about local voting rights activities with the distance of professional objectivity. At least he thinks he does. But it turns out that his preconceived notions influence his behavior, he’s governed by his biases, just like many others. The role of the Reporter is played by Jacob Berger, who grew up honing his stage-performance skills as a member of TADA! Theater. While everyone might not be familiar with Fannie Lou Hamer’s story, Jacob lauds Fannie Lou as exactly the kind of work contemporary audiences should see.“It’s about civil rights and injustice,” Jacob said, “and the racial issues are important for people to know about.”

That is the exact sentiment of Matt Visconti, who plays the role of the Narrator, and Yewande Odetoyinbo, part of the ensemble for the Oct. 9 performance.Like Michael, Jacob, Jonathan, Robert and Lynn, Yewande also performed in the 2012 Off-Broadway premiere of Fannie Lou. “I feel like a lot of people don’t know the story of Fannie Lou Hamer,” said Yewande. “She was such an inspiration and important part of not just black history, but American history.”

Yewande added that she’s excited to tell the story of Mrs. Hamer’s voting rights struggle.

“I learned about her in school, but when I ask a lot of people they say, ‘Who’s that?’” Yewande noted. “People need to know who she is.”

“Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall” will take place Thursday, Oct. 9, at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall beginning at 7:30 p.m. The event will serve as a fundraiser for the Center for Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College, CUNY. Approximately 20% of the cost of each parterre-level ticket sold will be donated to the center.

For more information about characters in “Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou: At Carnegie Hall” and the actors portraying them, please visit http://www.fannieloumusical.com/characters_in_fannie_lou.

To purchase a ticket or for more information, visit http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2014/10/9/0730/PM/Scenes-and-Songs-from-Fannie-Lou/or

www.fannieloumusical.com, or call CarnegieCharge (212) 247-7800, or visit the Box Office at 57th and Seventh.