Lorraine Hansberry

Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Philip Rose and David J. Cogan present Sidney Poitier in the New York Drama Critics' Circle award-winning play for 1958-59 "A Raisin in the Sun," a new play by Lorraine Hansberry, with Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Louis Gossett, Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, John Fiedler, directed by Lloyd Richards, designed and lighted by Ralph Alswang, costumes by Virginia Volland.

A Raisin in the Sun

Sabrina D. 

And you—ain't you bitter, man? Ain't you just about had it yet? Don't you see no stars gleaming that you can't reach out and grab? You happy?—You contented son-of-a-bitch—you happy? You got it made? Bitter? Man, I'm a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant— surrounded by ants! Ants who cant even understand what it is the giant is talking about.

clara

Beneatha: Love him? There is nothing left to love.

Mama: There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing. (…) Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most? When they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well then, you ain't through learning - because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself 'cause the world done whipped him so! when you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is.

It isn't a circle--it is simply a long line--as in geometry, you know, one that reaches into infinity. And because we cannot see the end--we also cannot see how it changes. And it is very odd by those who see the changes--who dream, who will not give up--are called idealists...and those who see only the circle we call them the "realists"!

Bekki

George (Looking at him with distaste, a little above it all): You're all whacked up with bitterness, man. 

Walter (Intently, almost quietly, between the teeth, glaring at the boy): And you - ain't you bitter man? 

Don't you see no stars gleaming that you can't reach out and grab? You happy? You content son of a bitch - you happy? You got it made? 

Bitter? man, I'm a volcano. Bitter? Here I am a giant - surrounded by ants! Ants who can't even understand what it is the giant is talking about..

George: thanks. Good night. (half out the door, he reopens it. To Walter:) Good night Prometheus! 

Ruth: I don't know. Don't worry about it. 

Walter (In fury, pointing after George): see there - they get to a point where they can't insult you man to man - they got to go talk about something ain't nobody never heard of! 

Amelia

Madison Keiran

I’ve never stopped thinking about how this book begins with Harlem by Langston Hughes. What happens to a dream deferred?

A black family is united in love and pride as they struggle to overcome poverty and harsh living conditions, in the 1959 play about an embattled Chicago family.

Lauren Wightman

Alyssa 

Really good. Such great messages portrayed.

Jeff Brown 

I really have no idea how to express my feelings for this book. Like a lot of recent period pieces, I wish I had been there in 1959 to absorb it. Excellent character development and current topics of the time. A great read. And the American Playhouse version, with the previously deleted scenes, is on YouTube, so I will be catching that soon.

Lizzy Jensen

Loved loved loved this play. I read it and then watched the movie. It produces a beautiful narrative on race & gender in the 60’s. Poignant, honest, and powerful. I am so grateful that Lorraine Hansberry was willing to give us a glance into the experiences of a family like the Youngers.

A raisin in the sun

Madeleine Munroe

Daryl Houston

Although I've read a bit of 20th-century drama, I had managed never to read this pillar of the genre. It's quite good -- funny, joyful, solemn, and sorrowful -- and certainly remains relevant.

Rachel

I enjoyed Raisin in the Sun to an extent, the story was good and it had an okay ending, but the characters had the same dimensions, Hansberry could of took the story further and made the characters more complex. It was well written and makes good points about that time era and how blacks were treated and how they worked with it so it's worth reading.

A Raisin in the Sun

Reviews

Popular highlights