A RAISIN IN THE SUN Coems to Theatre Arlington

In honor of Black History Month, Theatre Arlington will present Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning play, A Raisin in the Sun, opening on Friday, February 14th. This groundbreaking play is inspired in part by Hansberry's real-life experiences when her parents purchased a house in a "white neighborhood." It is the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s and the Youngers have received a $10,000 insurance check and each of the adult members of the family has an idea of what they would like to do with the money. Three generations of the family are in conflict: Lena, the matriarch, dreams of moving to a better neighborhood; her son, Walter Lee, dreams of buying a liquor store; daughter Beneatha longs to attend medical school. As the Youngers argue over the best plan, this play brought to light many issues that were rarely discussed at the time, such as women's rights, inequality and lack of opportunity.

A Raisin in the Sun opened on March 12, 1959 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. It was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway, as well as the first with a black director, Lloyd Richards, who observed that it was the first play to which large numbers of black people were drawn. The New York Drama Critics' Circle named it the best play of 1959 making Hansberry the first African American and youngest person to win the award. A Raisin in the Sun was also nominated for four Tony Awards. And in 1961, the play was made into a movie featuring the original Broadway cast. 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States of America National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The Younger family's heroic struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration. Theatre Arlington's Executive Producer Steven D. Morris says "We are thrilled to bring this barrier-breaking play to Arlington audiences. It is as moving and relevant now as when it was written."

Theatre Arlington's production of A Raisin in the Sun is directed by Megan Haratine, who most recently directed Brighton Beach Memoirs at Theatre Arlington. The production stars Shaundra Norwood as Ruth Younger, Bryan Pitts as Walter Lee Younger, King Packard as Travis Younger, Lauren Harrison as Beneatha Younger, Linda Jordan as Lena Younger, Nate Davis as Joseph Asagai, Durant Searcy as George Murchison, William Kledas as Karl Lindner and Gen Donnell as Bobo.

Stage Manager, Jasmine Shands, heads the production team which includes Bryan Stevenson (Set and Light Designer), Bill Eickenloff (Sound Designer), Angie Glover (Scenic Artist), Robin Dotson (Properties Designer) and Hope Cox (Costume Designer).

A Raisin in the Sun will open on Friday, February 14th. A post-show reception with the cast and crew sponsored by J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill will immediately follow the show and will include dessert provided by Cooper Street Bakery, the official bakery of Theatre Arlington.

See website for more information and to purchase tickets: www.TheatreArlington.org

Box Office: 817.275.7661

 

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