Mann also directs the production, which launches her 20th season as artistic director of the McCarter Theatre. Opening in the Berlind Theatre is scheduled for Sept. 17; performances continue through Oct. 11.

"Join us once again for the true story of Sadie and Bessie, the indomitable Delany sisters whose poignant and irreverent outlook on a transforming American landscape offers a life-affirming testament to legacy and hope," according to McCarter press notes. "In the intimate Berlind Theatre, and in a new millennium, come witness this joyous play in a new light."

The design team includes Daniel Ostling (sets), Karen Perry (costumes), Stephen Strawbridge (lighting), and Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen (original music and sound) with projection design by Wendell Harrington.

Adapted by Mann from the best-selling book by Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth, Having Our Say received three Tony nominations in 1995. The play was also turned into a television movie starring Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee, earning a Peabody Award for Excellence in Television and a NAACP Image Award nomination.

Yvette Freeman has appeared on Broadway in Ain't Misbehavin as well as in the musical's first national, international and Paris companies. She received an Obie Award in 1998 for her portrayal of Dinah Washington in Dinah Was, a role which also earned her two NAACP Awards and two Ovation Awards for productions in Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Lizan Mitchell previously appeared in Having Our Say in the play's first national tour in 1996.

The McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, NJ. For tickets call (609) 258-ARTS (2787) or visit www.mccarter.org.