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A Raisin in the Sun
Written by Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by Desiree Dabney

Performance Dates:
April 17 - May 2
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sunday, April 26 at 2:30pm

SYNOPSIS
One family’s fight against a world determined to break them.

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a landmark American drama that follows the Younger family as they strive for a better future in the face of racial injustice, financial struggle, and generational dreams. At once deeply personal and profoundly political, it’s a moving portrait of hope, resilience, and the cost of holding on to dignity when the world tries to deny it. When a life insurance check arrives after the death of the family patriarch, each member faces tough choices that test their hopes, values, and unity.

With themes of identity, pride, and resilience, this groundbreaking play captures the complexities of family, the struggle for equality, and the enduring human spirit. A Raisin in the Sun remains a poignant and inspiring story about the fight to claim dignity and opportunity in the face of adversity.

ROLES:
Walter Lee Younger (African American, Mid 30s)
A 35-year-old chauffeur who has a young son, Travis, with his wife, Ruth. The family lives in a small apartment with Walter's mother and sister in the South Side of Chicago. Hansberry describes Walter as a lean, intense man with nervous movements and erratic speaking patterns.

  Lena Younger (Mama) (African American, 60s)
 The 60-something matriarch of the family. She has recently lost her husband Walter Sr, and will be the recipient of a $10,000 life insurance check.

Beneatha Younger (African American, early 20s)
Walter's 20-year-old sister, a college student who invades the Younger household with her modern ideas and philosophies on race, class, and religion. She is a handsome intellectual who has worked hard to refine her speech.

Ruth Younger (African American, early 30s)
Walter's wife and Travis' mother. In her early thirties, Ruth is exceptionally pretty, but is aging before her time because of her impoverished surroundings. During her 11 years of marriage, she often bore the responsibility of keeping the household running, in addition to working as a domestic servant.

Travis Younger (African American, pre-teen)
 Walter and Ruth's 10-year-old son.

Joseph Asagai (African, early 20s)
A Nigerian college student pursuing Beneatha.

 George Murchison (African American, 20s)
Beneatha's boyfriend and fellow classmate, who hails from a wealthy black family.

 Karl Lindner (White, 40s-50s)
A white, middle-aged representative from the Clybourne Park Improvement Society.

Bobo (African American, 20s-40s)
A fellow investor in the liquor business, along with Willy and Walter.