On the 9th October 2024, I went to see a production of “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959 and directed by Tinuke Craig.
The play follows a Black family’s experience living in South Chicago as they deal with the consequences of receiving a life changing insurance payout after the demise of their father/husband.
It deals with themes of racism, segregation, and prejudice whilst also exploring the complicated relationship between family members and the lengths that one will goto reach their dreams.
The title of the play is a literary allusion to the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes (also known as “A Dream Deferred”) where the metaphor of a raisin drying up in the sun is used to reflect the lost dreams of the Black community in America as well as across the world.
The set design for the play was naturalistic with moments of expressionism.
A relatively stereotypical kitchen/living room created the set for the whole play with transparent wings being utilised to portray the otherwise unseen emotions of specific characters at different points in the play.
Appropriately coloured lighting was also added to the wings to further reflect those characters emotions.
A key moment from the play which stood out to me was where the audience realise along with the family that the insurance money given to Walter Lee (the oldest son) by his mother, Lena, has been taken by Willie - a friend of Walter’s who Walter trusted to hold the money for him.
Through this heart wrenching portrayal of loss, the audience are more able to understand the extent to which the money meant to Walter and his family.
The loss of the money symbolises the loss of the individual characters dreams and goals reflecting the corrupt and unfair nature of the American dream.
“A Raisin in the sun” also offers audience members the opportunity to see society through the eyes of a different community to the one they may belong to.
This evokes empathy in the spectator for the families situation and encourages greater understanding of the prejudice experienced by the Black community in the 1960s and still in the present day.
Overall, I would rate this play 4/5 stars for its impeccable portrayal of the lives of a Black family facing unbelievable prejudice and racism.
As an audience member I felt emotionally moved in various moments throughout the play: feeling sympathy for Walter when he realises the loss of his dreams whilst also anger at his lack of thought and selfishness as a character.
“A Raisin in the Sun” succeeded at evoking empathy in me for the struggles of this family as well as encouraging me to rejoice when they chose to fight back against the racist and prejudice society surrounding them.
