Westport Country Playhouse Announces A RAISIN IN THE SUN Initiatives

Westport Country Playhouse will present an education and community engagement initiative, "What Happens to a Dream Deferred: Lorraine Hansberry and 'A Raisin in the Sun'," in conjunction with The Playhouse's production of Hansberry's landmark drama, "A Raisin in the Sun," directed by Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad.

Scheduled now through November 3, the initiative will offer speakers, panel discussions, talkbacks, film screenings, art exhibits, and more, to explore the playwright and her creation – the historical context, contemporary relevance, and lasting influence. The enrichment programs are designed to deepen the audience's experience of the play.

The initiative's title, "What Happens to a Dream Deferred," originates from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes, which Hansberry quotes at the start of her play and in the play's title: "What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?"

"This is the third year in a row we've undertaken such an ambitious initiative and each year has been better than the last," said David Kennedy, associate artistic director. "Our 21 community partners-representing the broadest possible range of artistic and scholarly disciplines, as well as social service organizations-have helped immeasurably in creating a wide-ranging schedule of events that investigate this play and its many resonant themes. I think 'What Happens to a Dream Deferred' will prove enlightening, engaging, entertaining and inspiring, everything that we want these supplemental programs to be."

The schedule of events will offer speaking engagements, including "Sunday Symposium: A Conversation with Phylicia Rashad," on Sunday, October 14, after the 3 p.m. performance of "A Raisin in the Sun." Ms. Rashad, director of The Playhouse production of "A Raisin in the Sun," will talk about her long history with the play as audience member, actor, director, and African-American woman. "Commitment amid Complexity: Lorraine Hansberry's Drama and Worldview," on Sunday, October 21, after the 3 p.m. performance, will feature Steven R. Carter, author of "Hansberry's Drama," and one of the most noted scholars on the life and work of Lorraine Hansberry, and Tracy Heather Strain, founder of the Lorraine Hansberry Documentary Project. They will discuss the evolution of Hansberry's life and art. "Post-Show Conversation: A Day for Community," on Sunday, October 28, after a specially discounted 3 p.m. performance, will offer a discussion centered on the theme of community as reflected in Lorraine Hansberry's play. "A Day for the Community" is made possible in part by Corporate Sponsor Koskoff, Koskoff and Bieder P.C., with additional support from Fairfield County Community Foundation.

"Talkback with the Actors," on Thursday, November 1, after the 8 p.m. performance, will provide an opportunity for the cast of "A Raisin in the Sun" to discuss the creative process and the challenges inherent in bringing Lorraine Hansberry's play to life on the stage. All speaker events are free and open to the public.

A Professional Development Workshop for Educators will explore "Teaching Matters of Segregation and Race: Finding a Context for 'A Raisin in the Sun'," on Monday, October 15, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., in The Lucille Lortel White Barn Center at The Playhouse. Tracy Garrison-Feinberg, senior program associate at Facing History and Ourselves, will present a half-day workshop for teachers exploring questions of identity, membership, and perceptions of difference in reference to racial and ethnic identity in the United States. The workshop is free and open to all educators, reservations required.

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