Fine Arts Center Theater Company Presents BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK By Lynn Nottage

The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company will present "By the Way, Meet Vera Stark," an incisive comedy from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, on stage Feb. 24-March 20, 2022. The production is directed by Betty Hart (Denver-based director/actor and Colorado Theatre Guild president).

"By the Way, Meet Vera Stark" draws on the screwball films of the 1930s to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. The play is a seventy-year journey through the life of Vera Stark, a clever Black maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, Gloria, a white Hollywood star desperately trying to hold on to her career. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy scholars will debate for years to come.

"'By the Way, Meet Vera Stark' is a funny, poignant and unexpected journey exploring the life and career of black film actress Vera Stark, shining a light on past and present-day Hollywood and American culture. I love art that surprises and keeps us thinking days after viewing. This play does just that," said Hart.

The play stars Cleveland-based actor Lynnette R. Freemen as Vera and regional favorite Rebecca Myers (last seen on the FAC stage in "The Sound of Music") as Gloria. They are joined by FAC regulars Marisa D. Hébert, Mark Rubald and Michael Lee. Dana Scurlock and André Revels will make their FAC debut.

The creative team includes Christopher L. Sheley (scenic design), Azalea Fairley (costume design), Holly Anne Rawls (lighting design), Johnathan Taylor (sound design), Earon Nealey (wig design), and Neil Trujillo (videography).

Tickets are on sale now at a??fac.coloradocollege.edua??or through the FAC box office at (719) 634-5583.