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Breakdown
Lorraine Hansberry’s classic 1959 drama tells the story of the Youngers; a working-class African-American family living in Chicago. Race, identity, family and the American Dream are put under the microscope as Younger family tries to build a better life for themselves and for future generations.
SEEKING:
MOVING MAN 2/ UNDERSTUDY JOSEPH ASAGAI/GEORGE MURCHISON/AS CAST:
30s. African-American man. Moving man who helps the Youngers move out of their apartment. Will also understudy JOSEPH ASAGAI: A Nigerian student. In love with Beneatha. Intelligent, thoughtful, charming, with the assurance and charisma of a revolutionary. Is proud of his country and culture, & he woos Beneatha with the poetry & music of his homeland. Playfully teases Beneatha about her seriousness, but genuinely encourages her exploration of her identity in the hopes that she will marry & move to Africa with him. And GEORGE MURCHISON: Fellow student & suitor of Beneatha’s. Smooth, confident, cocky. Comes from a wealthy family & carries with him a sense of entitlement. Ued to getting what he wants. Perhaps more bewitched by her beauty than her brains, he is exhausted by Beneatha’s unflagging impulse to discuss & question. He has more traditional views on education, marriage, and identity, & is ready for Beneatha to get over what he perceives as a phase.
UNDERSTUDY KARL LINDNER:
40s–50s. Caucasian Man. An emissary sent from the Clybourne Park Improvement Association to visit the Youngers. Intelligent, politic & diplomatic. Gifted & persuasive speaker. Has been sent on the behalf of the Clybourne Park residents to offer the family a monetary deal to prevent them from moving to the all-White neighborhood. Firm & unapologetic in his belief that universal harmony is best achieved by separating society along racial lines.
UNDERSTUDY RUTH YOUNGER:
Mid 30s–Early 40s. African-American woman. Married to Walter Lee. Pragmatic, strong, & hard-working. Is exhausted from bearing the weight of running a family, working a full-time job, & managing their tight finances. Occasionally exhibits moments of radiance and joy that were fundamental to the early years of her marriage, but is filled with a weariness that has made her older than her years. Struggles with an undercurrent of simmering tensions in her marriage, but is determined to fight for her family’s survival.
UNDERSTUDY BENEATHA YOUNGER:
Late 20s–30s. African-American woman. Walter Lee’s younger sister. A college student studying to be a doctor. Bright, confident, opinionated, and extremely intelligent. Fully invested in exploring new ideas about her identity, heritage and religion, which sometimes alienate her from her more traditional family. Skeptical of convention, is determined to break out of the small world that her family knows and forge her own path. Is a force of nature, ready to meet the world head on & on her own terms.
UNDERSTUDY TRAVIS YOUNGER:
12. African-American boy. Energetic, clever, honest, but not above manipulating the adults around him to get what he wants. Looks up to his father & adores the women in his life. A city kid—never had a yard to play in, but finds a world of fascination in the street outside his apartment building. Earns money by carrying groceries and the apartment is so cramped that he doesn’t have a room of his own, & has to sleep on the couch.
UNDERSTUDY BOBO:
40s–50s. A friend of Walter Lee, the 2 plan on going into business together opening a liquor store. Gentle, polite, & sensitive. His sweet demeanor and bumbling manner make him easy to dominate & take advantage of. Decent to a fault, he is devastated when their business plans are ruined & eir money stolen by an unscrupulous partner.
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The following roles have been CAST.
FOR FUTURE REPLACEMENTS ONLY:
WALTER LEE YOUNGER:
CAST. 40’s. Male. African-American. A dreamer, whose big plans and schemes are fueled by his aspirations and ambitions to become something in the world.
RUTH YOUNGER:
CAST. Mid 30’s – Early 40’s. Female. African-American. Married to Walter Lee. Pragmatic, strong, and hard-working. She is exhausted from bearing the weight of running a family, working a full-time job, and managing their tight finances.
LENA YOUNGER:
CAST. 60’s – 70’s. Female. African-American. Walter Lee’s mother and the Matriarch of the Younger family. Straightforward, honest, and principled.
BENEATHA YOUNGER:
CAST. Late 20’s – 30’s. Female. African-American. Walter Lee’s younger sister. A college student studying to be a doctor.
BOBO:
CAST. 50’s – 60’s. Male. African-American. A friend of Walter Lee, the two plan on going into business together opening a liquor store. Gentle, polite, and sensitive.
JOSEPH ASAGAI:
CAST. 30’s. Male. A Nigerian student. In love with Beneatha. Intelligent, thoughtful, charming, with the assurance and charisma of a revolutionary. He is proud of his country and culture, and he woos Beneatha with the poetry and music of his homeland.
GEORGE MURCHISON:
CAST. Late 20’s – 30’s. Male. African-American. A fellow student and suitor of Beneatha’s. Smooth, confident, cocky. Comes from a wealthy family and carries with him a sense of entitlement. A boy used to getting what he wants.
TRAVIS YOUNGER:
CAST. To play 12. Male. African-American. Energetic, clever, honest, but not above manipulating the adults around him to get what he wants. Looks up to his father and adores the women in his life.
MOVING MAN 1/WALTER LEE U/S / AS CAST:
CAST. 40’s. Male. African-American. A moving man who helps the Youngers move out of their apartment. Will also understudy WALTER LEE YOUNGER: A dreamer, whose big plans and schemes are fueled by his aspirations and ambitions to become something in the world.
U/S LENA YOUNGER:
CAST. 60’s – 70’s. Female. African-American. Walter Lee’s mother and the Matriarch of the Younger family. Straightforward, honest, and principled. She is a strong woman who has worked her entire life, against incredible odds, to create a safe and loving home where her children could flourish.
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