Blessed Assurance

The Hinds Community College Lendon Players Present

Blessed Assurance by Laddy Sartin

It is the turbulent Freedom Summer of 1964. Olivia, the cook for the Whitehouse café, has shocked her small southern town by marching up the courthouse steps demanding to register to vote. Because of this she is attacked from all sides, even by those closest to her heart. Harlan, the owner of the café, who is like a son to Olivia, accuses her of listening to outside agitators and following along “like cows being led to slaughter.” This damnation incites Olivia to challenge Harlan’s personal beliefs, and his allegiance to her, by sitting at the counter of the café where she has worked most of her life and requesting to be served. When Harlan asks her what she thinks she’s doing, she says “I think they call it a sit-in!” BLESSED ASSURANCE shows Olivia, and the people close to her, how her choice to stand up for her rights forces them all to confront the hatred, ignorance, and injustice of the town. We see the quiet heroes of this troubled time trying their best to cope with a world which is forcing them into painful decisions. This play, set entirely in the café, offers a racially mixed cast, and presents the universal message of healing through laughter, tears, and brotherly love as the characters struggle to resolve their differences. It is a story about values, the politics of the old south, friendship, and ultimately about faith and “Blessed Assurance.”

House opens: 5: 30 p.m.
Show starts: 6 p.m.