“ What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? ”

“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”

General Information • The play, A Raisin in the Sun, tells about an African American family and how they experience life in the Washington Park subdivision in Chicago • Highlights the lives of African Americans living under segregation in Chicago • The title of the play comes from a poem named Harlem by Langston Hughes

About the Author • The author of the play, Lorraine Hansberry, is an American playwright and writer • She was the inspiration of Nina Simone’s song, “To be Young, Gifted, and Black” • Hansberry was the first African American woman to write a play that was performed on Broadway

First Performance • A Raisin in the Sun made its debut on Broadway on March 11, 1959

Summary A Raisin in the Sun is an African American play about the life of the Younger family in the 1950s. The play begins as the Youngers are about to receive a $10,000 insurance check that came from Mr. Younger, who had recently died. The adults don’t know what to do with the money, because they all have different things in mind. This causes the central conflict of the play, and later Ruth finds that she is pregnant. Ruth doesn’t tell Walter because she fears that another baby will bring more financial problems. Walter’s mother puts a down payment on a house because she thinks that more space will do the entire family justice. The house ends up being an all-white neighborhood, and a white man named Mr. Linder offers them money in return for not moving there. Even though Walter lost the $6,500, he refuses the money and moves anyway.

Characters • Beneatha Younger- Walter’s younger sister and Lena’s daughter • Walter Lee Younger- The main character and protagonist • Lena Younger- Walter and Beneatha’s mother • Ruth Younger- Walter’s wife • Travis Younger- Ruth and Walter’s son • Joseph Asagai- Nigerian student in love with Beneatha • George Murchison- Wealthy African American man who shows interest in Beneatha • Mr. Karl Linder- The man who attempts to make a deal with the Youngers • Bobo- One of Walter’s partners in the liquor store • Willy Harris- Walter’s “friend” (never seen on stage) • Mrs. Johnson- The Younger’s neighbor

The Production • A Raisin in the Sun was a risky play to produce. It took over a year for the producer named Philip Rose to raise enough money for it. • After that year, it was produced on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre March 11, 1959. • After that, it transferred to the Belasco Theatre on October 19, 1959 and closed June 25, 1960 • The play had 530 total performances and was directed by Lloyd Richards

Doubts and Critics • Hansberry and Rose did not expect the show to be a success because of the mixed reviews • Reviewers stated that it was universal and particular to the experiences of African Americans • Despite all the doubts, New York Drama Critics’ Circle named it the best play of 1959 • Critics said that they could’ve switched all the black characters with white ones, and the story would still be the same “One of the most sound ideas in dramatic writing is that, in order to create the universal, you must pay very great attention to the specific.”- Lorraine Hansberry

This play was the first to have large numbers of African Americans drawn to it. • It changed American theatre forever by bringing the concepts of black beauty, feminism, class differences, and African American past

Awards • A Raisin in the Sun was nominated for 4 Tony Awards • Best play • Best Actor in Play (Sidney Poitier) • Best Actress in Play (Claudia McNeil) • Best Direction in Play (Lloyd Richards)

Major Motifs and Symbols • The play’s major theme is about dreams and how the main characters deal with trying to accomplish them • Racial segregation is another major theme in this play. The Youngers faced a lot of problems just because of their skin color. To top it off they were asked to make a deal with Karl Linder to stay away from the white neighborhood. He is the main aspect of discrimination in the play • The play also centers around the importance of family. Although the Youngers struggle with money and discrimination, Lena continues to teach them how important family is and how they should stick together.

More Awards • Gary Cooper Award - 1962 Cannes Film Festival • Best Supporting Actress - Ruby Dee • Nominations • Best Director - Daniel Sr. Petrie - 1961 Directors Guild of America • Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Sidney Poitier 1961 Hollywood Foreign Press Asso. • Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Claudia McNeil 1961 Hollywood Foreign Press Asso.

Why was it written? • The play was written because of the poem “Harlem” and because of Lorraine Hansberry’s own real-life experience • Hansberry’s family bought a house in a white neighborhood in violation of a restrictive covenant. • The fights against the neighbors and the legal system affected her deeply, which inspired her to transfer it onto paper twenty years later

Why so important? • A Raisin in the Sun is often considered a turning point for American art • It brought out many issues dealing with African Americans like sterotyping, poverty, racial discrimination, etc… • Lansberry shows the Youngers not as a typical black family, but as one who has issues within the home. The family was not meant to be a comedic one. • The play shows the tension between whites and blacks, and how blacks had to deal with white people’s attitudes toward them. • The determination and will of African Americans against segregation and discrimination is what makes this play so attractive to the black audience

Overrall… • A Raisin in the Sun puts the focus on African American’s struggle for equality. • It shows how they struggled financially and within their homes, and how they stood by each other to overcome the negative things happening in their lives

Works Cited • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Raisin_in_the_Sun • http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/summary.html • http://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/article/lorraine-hansberrys-a-raisin-in-the-sun • http://www.chipublib.org/background-and-criticism-of-a-raisin-in-the-sun/

“ What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? ”