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A Raisin in the Sun

Ages: 10+

A Raisin in the Sun - 1959 Broadway History , Info & More


Belasco Theatre (Broadway)
111 West 44th St. New York, NY

Set on Chicago’s South Side, Lorraine Hansberry's celebrated play concerns the divergent dreams and conflicts in three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee, his wife Ruth, his sister Beneatha, his son Travis, and matriarch Lena. When her deceased husband’s insurance money comes through, Mama Lena dreams of moving to a new home and a better neighborhood in Chicago. Walter Lee, a chauffeur, has other plans: buying a liquor store and being his own man. Beneatha dreams of medical school. Hansberry's portrait of one family’s struggle to retain dignity in a harsh and changing world is a searing and timeless document of hope and inspiration.

. Upon its Broadway premiere in 1959, the play was a groundbreaking success for being the first play on Broadway written by an African American woman and the first with a Black director, Lloyd Richards. It brought to life the story of the Younger family's aspirations and struggles in Chicago's South Side, resonating deeply with audiences and critics alike. In 1960, the play was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Actor in Play for Sidney Poitier, Best Actress in a Play for Claudia McNeil, and Best Direction of a Play for Lloyd Richards.

The play's significance extends beyond its Broadway success. It won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle award for best play in 1959, marking a major achievement for Hansberry and a pivotal moment for African American storytelling in the theater. "A Raisin in the Sun" not only ran for 19 months on Broadway but was also adapted into a 1961 movie starring Sidney Poitier and other members of the original Broadway cast. This adaptation further cemented the play's legacy, with Ruby Dee winning the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, and both Poitier and McNeil receiving Golden Globe nominations.


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A RAISIN IN THE SUN Will Come to City Theatre Austin as Part of Juneteenth Celebration
by Stephi Wild - May 20, 2026


City Theatre Austin will present Lorraine Hansberry's A RAISIN IN THE SUN, directed by Lisa Jordan, as part of the 2026 Austin Juneteenth Celebration and the company's 20th Anniversary Season.

Review: RAISIN IN THE SUN at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
by Cathy Jakicic - May 11, 2026


Passionate RAISIN IN THE SUN still relevant.

FOLLIES, Brian Cox in THE SCORE, and More Set For Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2026-27 Season
by Stephi Wild - Mar 27, 2026


Shakespeare Theatre Company has announced its upcoming 2026-27 season lineup, which will include Brian Cox in The Score, a major production of Follies, and more.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN Will to be Presented at Porter Sanford Arts Center This April
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 26, 2026


A Raisin in the Sun will be presented in Atlanta this April at the Porter Sanford Arts & Community Center, showcasing the timeless story of the Younger family and their dreams.

Student Blog: The Spaces Women Built
by Student Blogger: Eva Viciana - Mar 9, 2026


Women’s History Month has always made me slow down a little. Women’s History Month always makes me pause and think about how much of the world we move through today was shaped by the choices, persistence, and courage of women who came long before us.

Photos: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Dunbar Repertory Company
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 13, 2026


The Middletown Arts Center, in conjunction with Dunbar Repertory Company, is presenting the ground-breaking, American classic, A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr. See photos!

A RAISIN IN THE SUN to be Presented at Middletown Arts Center
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 5, 2026


The Middletown Arts Center, in conjunction with Dunbar Repertory Company, will present the ground-breaking, American classic, A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr.

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by Stephi Wild - Sep 17, 2025


A winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award will soon take center stage at the Farmington Players Barn in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Learn more about the show here!

A RAISIN IN THE SUN to Play at Matthews Playhouse
by Emmy Rice - Aug 9, 2025


Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts, in partnership with BNS Productions, will open its 30th Mainstage Season with Lorraine Hansberry’s seminal drama A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Dr. Corlis Hayes.

Atlanta Community Theatre Summer Preview
by Joseph Harrison - May 9, 2025


What better way to cool off on a hot, Atlanta summer evening (or afternoon!) than taking in one of these exciting productions, coming to a community theatre near you! Check out all the amazing theatre that Metro Atlanta has to offer this summer!

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by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 11, 2025


Three of this season’s plays and two of this season’s musicals are already getting revived for the second or third time this century! Twenty-five years into the 21st century and Broadway has already seen multiple revivals of Glengarry Glen Ross, Our Town, Romeo and Juliet, Gypsy, and Sunset Boulevard. 

Review: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Taproot Theatre
by Jay Irwin - Mar 27, 2025


Dear Readers, in the past I’ve talked about plays that are essential for your theatrical education, plays that are just good for you. If those fluff plays out there are candy, then these essentials are your vegetables. Once such play is Lorraine Hansberry’s Pulitzer Prize winning classic from 1959, “A Raisin in the Sun”, considered by many to be one of the best plays written. But there’s nothing saying that these essential plays can’t be entertaining, as is evident in the current production at Taproot Theatre. They’ve expertly given us our veggies but cooked them to perfection and given some delicious seasoning or sauce to make it all go down well.

Headlong's A RAISIN IN THE SUN Now Available to Stream on Digital Theatre+
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 21, 2025


Headlong’s new staging of A Raisin in the Sun by director Tinuke Craig is now available to stream on Digital Theatre+. Learn more about the production and see how to stream.

CLYBOURNE PARK Begins Performances In February At Arvada Center
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 22, 2025


The Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities explores how the identity of a community changes over time with the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning satire Clybourne Park by playwright Bruce Norris. Directed by Kenny Moten, Clybourne Park opens February 14 in the Black Box Theatre.

Little Produced Best Musical Nominees
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Dec 29, 2024


The majority of Broadway’s Best Musical winners and nominees become some of the most produced shows in America and beyond, for decades to come. But for a small number of the shows to be nominated for Best Musical, Broadway is one of the only places audiences will ever be able to see that piece.

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by A.A. Cristi - Dec 19, 2024


Curtain up! Light the lights! Six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald takes on the role of a lifetime, playing 'Mama' Rose Hovick in the classic musical, Gypsy, is now running on Broadway at the newly renovated Majestic Theatre. Read the reviews!

Broadway Buying Guide: December 2, 2024- HELL'S KITCHEN, REDWOOD Get a Parade Boost
by Team BWW - Dec 2, 2024


Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, December 2, 2024.

What Are the Great American Plays?
by Nicole Rosky - Nov 3, 2024


Great American plays often capture key moments, issues, and themes that define American life, culture, and history, making them essential parts of the American theatrical canon. Which playwrights do you think made the list?

Broadway Buying Guide: October 21, 2024- SUNSET BLVD Storms Back to Broadway
by Team BWW - Oct 21, 2024


Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, October 21, 2024.

Broadway Buying Guide: October 14, 2024- OUR TOWN, GYPSY, and More
by Team BWW - Oct 14, 2024


Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, October 14, 2024.

Review: A RAISIN IN THE SUN, Lyric Hammersmith
by Aliya Al-Hassan - Oct 12, 2024


Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by a Black woman to appear on Broadway. Since its first performance in 1959, it remains as hard-hitting as ever. Exploring a domestic drama in its depiction of an everyday working class Black family, with ordinary desires, conflicts and aspirations; radical at the time of writing.  See what our critic had to say.

Carrie's TOUCH to Present A RAISIN IN THE SUN Beginning Performances This Week
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Sep 12, 2024


Carrie’s TOUCH will present a new production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN at the West Sacramento Black Box Theater. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.

Spotlight: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at TheatreSquared
by BWW Special Offer - Aug 30, 2024


𝘼 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙣 navigates the crossroads of home and hope

Spotlight: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Theatre Squared
by BWW Special Offer - Aug 20, 2024


Enjoy 𝘼 𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙣: See T2's Timely Classic First

A RAISIN IN THE SUN To Be Presented At TheatreSquared On Its 65th Anniversary
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 8, 2024


A Raisin in the Sun, the American classic by Lorraine Hansberry, will open in TheatreSquared's West Theatre on Aug. 21 and run through Sept. 15.

A Raisin in the Sun History

Other Productions of A Raisin in the Sun

1959   Broadway
Broadway
1986   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
2004   Broadway Broadway Revival
Broadway
2014   Broadway Broadway Revival
Broadway
2022   Off-Broadway Public Theater Off-Broadway Revival
Off-Broadway
   West End
West End

A Raisin in the Sun - 1959 Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners are highlighted with a background.
A Raisin in the Sun — awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
1960 Tony Awards Best Direction of a Play Lloyd Richards
1960 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play Sidney Poitier
1960 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Claudia McNeil
1960 Tony Awards Best Play Lorraine Hansberry
1959 New York Drama Critics Circle Awards Best American Play Lorraine Hansberry
1959 Outer Critics Circle Awards Best Drama Performance Diana Sands

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