2019 PULITZER WINNER FOR DRAMA & THE 2018–2019 SUSAN SMITH BLACKBURN PRIZE

BY JACKIE SIBBLIES DRURY, DIRECTED BY TERRENCE HENDERSON

For the first three shows of 2020, we are turning the Main Stage into a round orientation. Audiences will converge on these plays from all sides – immersing you in these stories, connecting our performers more deeply with audiences, and bringing a new level of intimacy to the Thigpen Main Stage.

As the lights come up on Act One, we find ourselves at the Frasier household, and preparations for Grandma’s birthday party are under way. Beverly is holding on to her sanity by a thread to make sure this party is perfect, but her sister can’t be bothered to help, her husband doesn’t seem to listen, her brother is MIA, her daughter is a teenager, and maybe nothing is what it seems in the first place! Suddenly in Act Two, the rules of the play change and the voices of new characters enter the space. As the play careens towards the unexpected conclusion, we’ve learned that FAIRVIEW is a searing examination of families, drama, family dramas, and the insidiousness of white supremacy. Under the direction of 2016 Steve Morrison Visionary Award winner Terrance Henderson, this script is one the most stirring plays in recent American theatre history – and it’s right here at Trustus.