Lorraine Hansberry News

Celebration Arts presents A Raisin in the Sun, the classic drama by Lorraine Hansberry.

WE THE PEOPLE...WILL NOT HAVE OUR DREAMS DEFERRED Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking family drama is the first play in our American Legacy series. Dedicated to modern classics that lend perspective to stories from our past, this series seeks to draw a connection between our culture's history and the events of today.

First Floor Theater is pleased to continue their sixth season with the Chicago premiere of Nathan Alan Davis's poetic and poignant drama, DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA, directed by Chika Ike. DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA will play March 4 - 31, 2018 at The Den Theatre, 1333 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently on sale at firstfloortheater.com. 

A Noise Within (ANW) presents A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Gregg T. Daniel, the sixth production of its 26th season performing February 25 to April 8 (Press Opening March 3).

Boston Court Performing Arts Center presents a reimagined modern take of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire (February 15 - March 25, 2018; press opening, February 24). The community panels and discussions have been announced for this radical re-envisioning of Streetcar which will feature a multicultural cast and modern setting, pushing on the play's present-day relevance. This selection of panel discussions and post-show Illuminations will allow for a deep discussion on A Streetcar Named Desire and its many prevalent themes, especially in regards to this production, which is presented within a contemporary and urban environment, highlighting the pertinence of the play for our divided America.

WaterTower Theatre Artistic Director, Joanie Schultz, today announced details for the inaugural DETOUR: A Festival of New Work (March 1 - 4, 2018). This year's Festival will consist of four new play readings, three devised works, and two "late nite" performances.  Highlights from this year's Festival include a reading from Oregon Shakespeare Festival's "Play On!" initiative commissioning modern adaptations of 39 of Shakespeare's works, three new works from rising company Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, the next installment of Brigham Mosley's laugh-out-loud creation, Movies That Should Be Musicals, and more.

'What happens to a dream deferred?  Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?'  In 1959, with her landmark play inspired in part by the preceding lines from Langston Hughes' poem 'Harlem,' Lorraine Hansberry made history as the first black female playwright to have her work produced on Broadway. 

The UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance presents A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, directed by Kim Rubenstein.

The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize has announced 10 Finalists for its prestigious playwriting award, the oldest and largest prize awarded to women playwrights writing in the English language. Chosen from over 150 nominated plays, the Finalists are:

Ernie Nolan, executive artistic director of Nashville Children's Theatre, and Norma Luther, who took over ownership of Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre and spearheaded its renaissance in 2017, last night claimed top honors as "Theaterati of the Year" at Midwinter's First Night at Music Valley Event Center.

Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking family drama is the first play in our American Legacy series. Dedicated to modern classics that lend perspective to stories from our past, this series seeks to draw a connection between our culture's history and the events of today.

Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking family drama is the first play in our American Legacy series. Dedicated to modern classics that lend perspective to stories from our past, this series seeks to draw a connection between our culture's history and the events of today.

PlayGround's 2018 season concludes with the PlayGround Festival of New Works from May 10-June 17, 2018 at San Francisco's Potrero Stage, the company's newly-renovated home. Featured in this year's PlayGround Festival are premieres of two PlayGround commissioned full-length plays: BRIGHT SHINING SEA by Julianne Jigour opening on May 16, a co-production with Planet Earth Arts, and SCAPEGOAT by William Bivins opening on May 23, a co-production with Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, both originally developed at the 2016 Festival and highlighting two timely issues. In William Bivins's Scapegoat, one man tests art's ability to create change in the face of another police shooting of an unarmed Black man. In Julianne Jigour's Bright Shining Sea, six characters find their lives intertwined as they face the personal challenges caused by environmental degradation.

JAG Productions announces the second annual JAGfest, a weekend performing arts festival of new works all celebrating the talents of African-American playwrights and performing artists.

Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) announces a free post-performance discussion moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning theatre critic and Negroland: A Memoir author Margo Jefferson in connection with TFANA's world premiere production of Adrienne Kennedy's He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box. The talk, which begins at 8.30 PM is open to all and features director Charlotte Braithwaite and playwrights Lydia Diamond and Jackie Sibblies Drury, follows the January 20 performance of Kennedy's first new play in a decade, which begins at 7:30 that evening, at Polonsky Shakespeare Center (262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217). The discussion will also be streamed live on Theatre for a New Audience's Facebook page. He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box runs January 18-February 11. To reserve a seat to this panel, visit www.tfana.org/heartpanel.

One week after the anniversary of her death, American Masters -- Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart premieres nationwide Today, January 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will stream the following day at pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS apps. Check out the trailer below!

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 43rd season with BREACH: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate, written by Antoinette Nwandu and directed by Lisa Portes. BREACH runs February 9 March 11, 2018, with the press performance on Friday, February 16, 2018 at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, presents its first production of Shakespeare's history play Henry V, co-directed by Artistic Directors Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott. ANW streamlines the story into a dynamic thrill ride infused with modern relevance.

Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA; Jeffrey Horowitz, Founding Artistic Director) announces a free post-performance discussion moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning theatre critic and Negroland: A Memoir author Margo Jefferson in connection with TFANA's world premiere production of Adrienne Kennedy's He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box. The talk, which begins at 8.30 PM is open to all and features director Charlotte Braithwaite and playwrights Lydia Diamond and Jackie Sibblies Drury, follows the January 20 performance of Kennedy's first new play in a decade, which begins at 7:30 that evening, at Polonsky Shakespeare Center (262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217). The discussion will also be streamed live on Theatre for a New Audience's Facebook page. He Brought Her Heart Back in a Box runs January 18-February 11. To reserve a seat to this panel, visit www.tfana.org/heartpanel.

Company of Fools' 22nd season of theatre continues in February with a production of Clybourne Park, a searingly funny play by Bruce Norris that won both the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2012 Tony Award for Best Play. Clybourne Park will run Feb. 21 March 10 at the Liberty Theater in Hailey and will be directed by Denise Simone, one of Company of Fools' founding members and a Core Company Artist until late 2016. The play is produced in conjunction with The Center's BIG IDEA project This Land Is Whose Land?