Review: Arena's A RAISIN IN THE SUN Shines

Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun is making Arena Stage its home for the next five weeks and it should not be missed. This American masterpiece returns to Washington in a production that is exquisitely acted and extremely relevant to today's society.

Watching Arena's production, you're struck by two notions: The first being that if you were not aware of the play's 1959 setting, one could reasonably think that it was taking place in the present. Second, is that A Raisin in the Sun's themes of identity, racism, heritage, hope, and the American dream are as universal now as when the play first opened more than five decades ago.

Arena's production is well-crafted. Director Tazewell Thompson has successfully gone to great lengths in ensuring that A Raisin in the Sun's mix of humor and drama are properly balanced. This is not an easy task as one misstep could harm the play's tone, weakening the impact of its message.

Hansberry's story about the Younger family is told with prose that is sharp and direct, extremely observant and humorous. Having just received a $10,000 life insurance payout for the death of patriarch Walter Younger, Sr., the family must decide what to do with the money and face its consequences on their future.

This production is anchored by the endearing performances of Lizan Mitchell as the matriarch Lena Younger and Dawn Ursula as her daughter-in-law Ruth Younger. Mitchell captures the very heart of the play and essence of Hansberry's words. Ursula displays the fierce determination and powerful struggle to achieve a better life that has made A Raisin in the Sun a beloved classic. It's their drive, and especially Mitchell's mastery of Lena's sage and wry personality, that propels this production with terrific spirit.

Will Cobbs makes an impassioned Arena Stage debut as Lena's son and Ruth's husband, Walter Lee Younger. The role was originally played by a then unknown Sidney Poitier and later by Denzel Washington. Cobbs easily fits into the latter's mold, giving Walter a slow, constant sizzle underlying his character's long-percolating frustration to be more than just a chauffeur in life. It's easy to dismiss that desire, until we see the full consequences of Walter's actions in Act II, and how he must rectify his behavior in the full view of his family, most notably his young son.

Rounding out the trio of Younger woman is an understated Joy Jones as Lena's intellectual daughter Beneatha Younger. She and Walter both share an ambition for a better life, but diverge on different paths - she wants to be a doctor, he wants to own a liquor store. Jones channels Beneatha's outlier status as an intellectual woman living in the fifties and not wanting to just settle as a housewife. The reason Hansberry provides for this motivation is an astute reminder about the past's constant impact and effect on our lives. Beneatha's potential suitors are the intellectually charming Bueka Uwemedimo as Joseph Asagai, her fellow classmate from Nigeria, and Keith RoyAl Smith as the smug well-off George Murchison.

Few characters in the theatre draw such a cold and unnerving response as the appearance of Karl Lindner, cunningly played by Thomas Adrian Simpson. Lindner is president of the neighborhood association where the Youngers' new home is located. Despite his nicely pressed grey suit and chipper persona, Simpson's constant inability to have Lindner look the Youngers in the eyes and emphasis on the phrase 'you people' captures his real motive.

However, Lindner's appearance is not just consequential in setting up the play's climax, but also in emphasizing its timeliness. The blatant racism and hatred felt by the Youngers is still being felt in many communities across the United States. Lindner's constant refrain of "most of the trouble exists because people just don't sit down and talk to each other" is one of the play's great ironies. For the line's sentiment not only underlies hypocrisy on Lindner's part, but a societal observation by Hansberry that is sadly too relevant.

The entire evening takes place in the Youngers' worn-down, walkup apartment. Donald Eastman's set design is satisfactory but misses one key element. In Act I, the first scene references the Youngers having to share a bathroom with the other building tenants. It's an easy to miss, yet important attribute, that informs why Lena's drive to own a home is so powerful. Eastman missed a chance to emphasize that point by not showcasing what an inconvenience that is.

Arena Stage has taken up the Washington theatre mantle of channeling those who feel left behind and disenfranchised. We saw that with the plight of the worker in their heartbreaking production of Sweat last year and now with Younger's desire for a real home, a house and their part of the American dream. Arena's A Raisin in the Sun is as timely as ever and in a production that shines.

Runtime: Two hours and 45 minutes with one intermission

A Raisin in the Sun runs thru May 7th at Arena Stage - 1101 6th St SW, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets please call (202) 488-3300 or click here.

Photo: Will Cobbs as Walter Lee Younger and Jeremiah Hasty as Travis Younger in A Raisin in the Sun at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, running March 31-May 7, 2017. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.