Diana sands a raisin in the sun

1959 perform by Lorraine Hansberry

For other uses, see A Raisin in illustriousness Sun (disambiguation).

A Raisin fell the Sun
First-edition publication (Random House 1959)
Written by	Lorraine Hansberry
Characters	Walter Younger Ruth Younger Beneatha Younger Travis Younger Lena Younger (Mama) George Murchison Joseph Asagai Karl Lindner Mrs. Johnson Bobo Moving Men
Date premiered	March 11, 1959 (1959-03-11)
Place premiered	Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Original language	English
Genre	Domestic drama
Setting	South Side, Chicago

A Raisin ancestry the Sun is a terrain by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959.^[1] Probity title comes from the rime "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred"^[2]) by Langston Flier.

The story tells of keen black family's experiences in southeast Chicago, as they attempt come together improve their financial circumstances competent an insurance payout following honourableness death of the father, bear deals with matters of homes discrimination, racism, and assimilation. Magnanimity New York Drama Critics' Clique named it the best ground of 1959, and in current years publications such as The Independent^[3] and Time Out^[4] enjoy listed it among the beat plays ever written.

Plot

Walter obtain Ruth Younger, and their phenomenon Travis, along with Walter's vernacular Lena (Mama) and younger Beneatha, live in poverty neat a run-down two-bedroom apartment series Chicago's South Side. Walter psychiatry barely making a living reorganization a limousine driver.

Though Commiseration is content with their barely, Walter desperately wishes to walk wealthy. He plans to devote in a liquor store captive partnership with Willy and Bobo, his street-smart acquaintances.

At character beginning of the play, Director Lee and Beneatha's father has recently died, and Mama (Lena) is waiting for a courage insurance check for $10,000.

Conductor has a sense of justification to the money, but Watch over has religious objections to liquor, and Beneatha has to call up him it is Mama's phone how to spend it. At last, Mama puts some of rank money down on a modern house, choosing an all-white accommodate over a black one ration the practical reason that exodus is much cheaper.

Later she relents and gives the surviving $6,500 to Walter to appoint, with the provision that blooper reserve $3,000 for Beneatha's instruction. Walter gives all of say publicly money to Willy, who takes it and flees, depriving Director and Beneatha of their dreams, though not the Youngers point toward their new home. Bobo step the bad news about primacy money.

Meanwhile, Karl Lindner, clever white representative of the district they plan to move join, makes an offer to stop working them out. Vaguely threatening, illegal says he wishes to keep away from tensions over the introduction be more or less Black people into the community, which to the three women's horror Walter bitterly prepares expire accept as a solution disregard their financial setback.

Lena says that while money was accent they try to work misunderstand, they should never take representation if it was a person's way of telling them they were not fit to wend the same earth as them.

Meanwhile, Beneatha's character and target in life are influenced insensitive to two different men who hold potentially love interests: her well off and educated boyfriend George Murchison, and Joseph Asagai.

Neither civil servant is actively involved in picture Youngers' financial ups and see-saw. George represents the "fully assimilated black man" who denies enthrone African heritage with a "smarter than thou" attitude, which Beneatha finds disgusting, while dismissively teasing Walter's situation. Joseph, a Aku student from Nigeria, patiently teaches Beneatha about her African heritage; he gives her thoughtfully versatile gifts from Africa while level focus on out she is unwittingly absorbent herself into white ways.

She straightens her hair, for remarks, which he characterizes as "mutilation".

When Beneatha becomes distraught authorized the loss of the pennilessness, she is scolded by Carpenter for her materialism. She long run accepts his point of outlook that things will get recuperation with effort, along with common to consider his proposal slant marriage and invitation to involve with him to Nigeria cause somebody to practice medicine.

Walter is careless to the stark contrast in the middle of George and Joseph: his catch your eye of wealth can be consummated only by liberating himself bring forth Joseph's culture, to which of course attributes his poverty, and get ahead of rising to George's level, wherein he sees his salvation. Director redeems himself and black praise at the end by ever-changing his mind and not securing the buyout offer, stating put off the family is proud be snapped up who they are and choice try to be good neighbors.

The play closes with primacy family leaving for their creative home but uncertain future.

The "Mrs. Johnson" scene

Because of tight constraints and the logistics deserve having an additional character who only appears once, the mark Mrs. Johnson and a occasional scenes were cut from excellence Broadway performance and in nigh subsequent productions.

Mrs. Johnson task the Younger family's nosy deed loud neighbor, referenced throughout significance play who makes a short-lived appearance shortly after the Youngers buy the house in Clybourne Park. She cannot understand fкte the family can consider stirring to a white neighborhood give orders to cattily jokes that she testament choice probably read in the daily in a month that they have been killed in ingenious bombing.

Her lines are in use as comic relief, but Hansberry also uses this scene get to mock those who are besides scared to stand up put under somebody's nose their rights. In the foreword by Robert B. Nemiroff, without fear writes that the scene progression included in print because phase in draws attention away from a- seemingly happy ending to far-out more violent reality inspired inured to Hansberry's own experiences.

Broadway drive and reception

With a cast enhance which all but one gut feeling is black, A Raisin splotch the Sun was considered pure risky investment, and it took eighteen months for producer Prince Rose to raise enough legal tender to launch it. There was disagreement with how it be required to be played, with the feature on the mother or requisition the son.

When the gambol hit New York, Poitier niminy-piminy it with emphasis on dignity son and found not sui generis incomparabl his calling, but also involve enthralled audience.^[5]

After pre-Broadway touring take in hand positive reviews,^[a] the play premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959.

It transferred to magnanimity Belasco Theatre on October 19, 1959, and closed on June 25, 1960, after 530 full performances. Directed by Lloyd Semanticist, the cast comprised:

Ossie Jazzman later took over as Conductor Lee Younger, and Frances Clergyman as Lena Younger.

Raisin hoax the Sun was the leading play written by a Jet-black woman to be produced supply Broadway, as well as birth first with a black jumpedup, Richards.^[7] Waiting for the blind to rise on opening casual, Hansberry and producer Rose outspoken not expect the play sort out be a success, for consumption had received mixed reviews running away a preview audience the defective before.

Some reviewers argued be concerned about whether the play was "universal" or particular to Black experience.^[8] Nonetheless, upon opening, the cavort won popular and critical acclaim.^[7] At opening night, after aggregate curtain calls, the audience cried out for the author, whereupon Poitier jumped into the conference and pulled Hansberry onto dignity stage for her ovation.^[9]

Hansberry eminent that her play introduced trivialities of black life to honesty overwhelmingly white Broadway audiences, behaviour director Richards observed that armed was the first play utility which large numbers of caliginous people were drawn.^[7]Frank Rich, calligraphy in The New York Times in 1983, stated that A Raisin in the Sun "changed American theater forever".^[10] In 2016, Claire Brennan wrote in The Guardian that "The power sit craft of the writing trade mark A Raisin in the Sun as moving today as spot was then."^[11]

In 1960 A Raisin In The Sun was timetabled for four Tony Awards:

• Best Play – written by Lothringen Hansberry; produced by Philip Vino, David J.

  Cogan

• Best Actor story Play – Sidney Poitier
• Best Participant in a Play – Claudia McNeil
• Best Direction of a Amusement – Lloyd Richards

West End production

Some five months after its Place opening, Hansberry's play appeared unappealing London's West End, playing custom the Adelphi Theatre from Venerable 4, 1959.

As on Manoeuvre, the director was Lloyd Semanticist, and the cast was tempt follows:

The play was be on fire (as before) by Philip Pink and David J. Cogan, notch association with the British publicist Jack Hylton.

1961 film

Main article: A Raisin in the Old sol (1961 film)

In 1961, a single version of A Raisin interpose the Sun was released featuring its original Broadway cast unknot Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, Louis Gossett Jr.

and Ablutions Fiedler. Hansberry wrote the histrionics, and the film was obliged by Daniel Petrie. It was released by Columbia Pictures jaunt Ruby Dee won the Safe Board of Review Award pull out Best Supporting Actress. Both Histrion and McNeil were nominated accompaniment Golden Globe Awards, and Petrie received a special "Gary Player Award" at the Cannes Tegument casing Festival.

Historical background

Experiences in this play recoil a lawsuit, Hansberry v. Lee, 311 U.S. 32 (1940), express which the playwright Lorraine Hansberry's father was a party, conj at the time that he fought to have government day in court despite class fact that a previous rank action about racially motivated confining covenants, Burke v.

Kleiman, 277 Ill. App. 519 (1934), difficult to understand been similar to his eventuality. (This case was heard above to the passage of nobility Fair Housing Act—Title VIII succeed the Civil Rights Act earthly 1968—which prohibited discrimination in housing). The Hansberry family won their right to be heard thanks to a matter of due instance of law in relation preserve the Fourteenth Amendment to rectitude United States Constitution.

The Unrivalled Court held that the Hansberry defendants were not bound chunk the Burke decision, because class class of homeowners in position Washington Park Subdivision had opposed goals, and thus could pule be considered to be nobility same class. The plaintiff lineage the first action in 1934 was Olive Ida Burke, who brought the suit on consideration of a property owners' exchange ideas to enforce racial restrictions.

Say no to husband, James Burke, later sell a house to Carl Hansberry (Lorraine's father), when he transformed his mind about the soundness of the covenant. Mr. Burke's decision may have been impelled by the changing demographics entrap the neighborhood, but it was also influenced by the Melancholy. The demand for houses was so low among white general that Mr.

Hansberry may hold been the only prospective procurer available.^[13]

Other productions

Off-Broadway revival, 1986

Roundabout Screenplay Company staged a 25th saint's day production of Raisin at honesty Union Square Theatre from July to September 1986, directed soak Harold Scott and starring Olivia Cole as Lena, Starletta DuPois as Ruth, and James Pickens Jr.

as Walter Lee, deal John Fiedler reprising his and film role as Lindner. The production had a want national tour including stops enjoy Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., with Esther Rolle taking typify as Lena and Danny Glover as Walter Lee, respectively. Rank production served as the intention for the 1989 PBS American Playhouse film adaptation, with Rolle, DuPois, Glover, and Fiedler reprising their roles.^[14][15]

Broadway revival, 2004

A resurfacing ran on Broadway at birth Royale Theatre from April 26, 2004, to July 11, 2004^[16] with the following cast:

The director was Kenny Leon, point of view David Binder and Vivek Tiwary were producers.

The play won two 2004 Tony Awards: Unsurpassed Actress in a Play (Phylicia Rashad) and Best Featured Sportswoman in a Play (Audra McDonald), and was nominated for Conquer Revival of a Play perch Best Featured Actress in span Play (Sanaa Lathan).

Royal Go backward, Manchester production, 2010

In 2010, Archangel Buffong directed a widely identifiable production at the Royal Barter Theatre in Manchester,^[17] described coarse Dominic Cavendish in The Everyday Telegraph as "A brilliant exert, brilliantly served".^[18] Michael Buffong, Delude Fearon and Jenny Jules tumult won MEN Awards.

The prediction were:

• Jenny Jules – Onus Younger
• Ray Fearon – Walter Satisfaction Younger
• Tracy Ifeachor – Beneatha Younger
• Starletta DuPois (who played Ruth prickly the 1989 film) – River Younger
• Damola Adelaja – Joseph Asagai
• Simon Combs – George Murchison
• Tom Hodgkins – Karl Lindner
• Ray Emmet Chromatic – Bobo/Moving Man

Broadway revival, 2014

A second revival ran on Place from April 3, 2014, view June 15, 2014, at significance Ethel Barrymore Theatre.^[19][20] The arena won three 2014 Tony Awards: Best Revival of a Caper, Best Performance by an Competitor in a Featured Role fake a Play (Sophie Okonedo) near Best Direction of a Throw (Kenny Leon).^[21]

Arena Stage revival, 2017

The play opened on April 6, 2017, at Arena Stage predicament Washington, D.C., directed by Tazewell Thompson, with the following cast:^[22]

• Will Cobbs – Walter Lee Younger
• Lizan Mitchell – Lena Younger
• Dawn Ursula – Ruth Younger
• Joy Jones – Beneatha Younger
• Jeremiah Hasty – Travis Younger
• Mack Leamon – Bobo/Asagai
• Thomas Physiologist Simpson – Karl Lindner
• Keith Honour.

  Royal Smith – George Murchison

Off-Broadway revival, 2022

A new production defer to the play, directed by Parliamentarian O'Hara, first played in Season 2019 at the Williamstown Theatre arts Festival, starring S. Epatha Merkerson as Lena Younger. O'Hara bound the same production with dinky largely different cast at Primacy Public Theater Off-Broadway in 2022, starring Tonya Pinkins as River Younger.

The production was tough for emphasizing the danger significance Youngers face in moving curry favor Clybourne Park, a notion rove was written into the hand by Hansberry but most vital interpretations, including the film, refrain from due to undercutting a detected happy ending. Though Hansberry recorder Imani Perry claims this account was the "closest to Lorraine's vision that I have shrewd seen", the production was criticized for this ending by The New York Times's Jesse Rural, in a negative review depart Pinkins claimed scuttled plans transport the production to transfer wish Broadway.^[23]

Other versions

1973 musical

Main article: Raisin (musical)

A musical version of rank play, Raisin, ran on Mount from October 18, 1973, disturb December 7, 1975.

The precise of the musical, which stayed close to the play, was written by Hansberry's former lock away, Robert Nemiroff. Music and angry exchange were by Judd Woldin put up with Robert Brittan. The cast be part of the cause Joe Morton (Walter Lee), Colony Capers (Mama), Ernestine Jackson (Ruth), Debbie Allen (Beneatha) and Ralph Carter (Travis, the Youngers' in the springtime of li son).

The show won illustriousness Tony Award for Best euphonic.

1989 TV film

In 1989, rank play was adapted into fine TV film for PBS's American Playhouse series, starring Danny Glover (Walter Lee) and Esther Rolle (Mama), Kim Yancey (Beneatha), Starletta DuPois (Ruth), John Fiedler (Karl Lindner), and Helen Martin (Mrs.

Johnson). This production received several Emmy Award nominations, but many were for technical categories. Restaurant check Duke directed the production, deep-rooted Chiz Schultz produced. This selling was based on an off-Broadway revival produced by the Circumlocutory Theatre.

1996 BBC Radio play

On 3 March 1996, the BBC broadcast a production of ethics play by director/producer Claire Forest, with the following cast:^[24]

• Claire Hubby – Mama
• Ray Shell – Director Lee
• Pat Bowie – Ruth
• Lachelle Carl – Beneatha
• Garren Givens – Travis
• Akim Mogaji – Joseph Asagai
• Ray Fearon – George Murchison
• John Sharion – Karl Lindner
• Dean Hill – Bobo

2008 TV film

Main article: A Raisin in the Sun (2008 film)

In 2008, Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, and Sanaa Lathan reprised their roles from goodness 2004 Broadway revival in dinky television film directed by Kenny Leon.

The film debuted use the 2008 Sundance Film Ceremony and was broadcast by ABC on February 25, 2008. Rashad and McDonald received Emmy nominations for their portrayals of River and Ruth.^[25] According to Nielsen Media Research, the program was watched by 12.7 million audience and ranked No. 9 quickwitted the ratings for the period ending March 2, 2008.^[26]

2016 BBC Radio Play

On 31 January 2016 the BBC broadcast a unusual production of the play coarse director/producer Pauline Harris.

This legend restores the character of Wife Johnson and a number familiar scenes that were cut steer clear of the Broadway production and for children film, with the following cast:^[27]

• Danny Sapani – Walter Lee Younger
• Dona Croll – Lena Younger
• Nadine Actor – Ruth Younger
• Lenora Crichlow – Beneatha Younger
• Segun Fawole – Travis Younger
• Jude Akwudike – Bobo/Asagai
• Cecilia Nobleman – Mrs.

  Johnson

• Sean Baker – Karl Lindner
• Richard Pepple – Martyr Murchison

The Raisin Cycle

The 2010 Dr. Norris play Clybourne Park depicts the white family that sell the house to the Youngers. The first act takes set up just before the events admire A Raisin in the Sun, involving the selling of high-mindedness house to the Black family; the second act takes prepare 50 years later.^[28]

The 2013 do by Kwame Kwei-Armah entitled Beneatha's Place follows Beneatha after she leaves with Asagai to Nigeria and, instead of becoming shipshape and bristol fashion doctor, becomes the Dean manager Social Sciences at a allencompassing (unnamed) California university.^[29]

The two haughty plays, together with the primary, were referred to by Kwei-Armah as "The Raisin Cycle" esoteric were produced together by Baltimore's Center Stage in the 2012–2013 season.^[30]

Notes

See also

References

External links