10/27/2023
Review: Cincinnati Black Theatre Company
Show: A Raisin in the Sun
Location: Artsville 5021 Whetsel
Ave Cincinnati Ohio 45227
Performance Attended:Oct.26th 23'
Review by: Lindsey Moreno
When the lights come up on this play, it is morning in the Youngerâs tiny apartment on the South Side of Chicago, 1953. Ruth Younger (Brittany Mayti) is waking everyone up, starting with her 10-year-old son Travis, whoâs bed is the couch in the living room. She chases him quickly out of bed and down the hall because the bathroom, shared by other tenants, is open. Next, she yells for her husband Walter Lee Younger (Jeffery Jackson) to get up and be ready to get into the bathroom as soon as Travis is done, because they can hear their upstairs neighbor Mrs. Johnson (Marva Hammonds) stirring, and sheâll be down in a minute to claim her time in the bathroom. Walter grumbles about his job as a chauffeur for a rich white man. Travis begs to get a job as a bag boy at a local grocery store, but his mama wonât let him, so his dad gives him extra money for the bus, or a taxi, trying to be extravagant, then being short himself for bus fare.
Walter Leeâs mother and college age sister Beneatha(Nicole Stubbs) also live in the apartment. She has dreams of becoming a doctor, and is dating two different men. Joseph Asagai (Michael Young) is from Nigeria, and she admires his authentic blackness, his music, his traditional dress and customs. She is also courted by an American man George Murchison (who Michael Young also brilliantly plays) who is pursing a higher degree and likes to talk smart, especially around Walter Lee.
At the heart of the show, and matriarch of the family, is Lena Younger (Regina Poole). Her husband Big Walter has recently passed away, and theyâre waiting for a $10,000.00 insurance check to arrive. Iâve always been struck by the brilliance of opening this play with the anticipation of the check. The entire family hitches their dreams to this sudden windfall. They believe itâs the answer to all their problems. Lena wants to buy a home to get the family out of that cramped apartment, to give her children more than what she and Big Walter had, and to have something to pass down to future generations. I love the scene where she embraces Travis and tells him that she bought a house for him, âItâs going to be yours when you get to be a man.â
Ruth is ecstatic about the house. Beneatha is glad that she gets part of the money for medical school. Travis is excited to have his own room and a yard to play in. Walter Lee is not so enthusiastic. He wants to use the money to invest in a liquor store. He wants to partner with his buddies and be his own boss. He has a vicious fight with both his wife and his mother about it. Lena wrestles with two truths, providing for her family and empowering her children. She sees her legacy carried forth through her children and grandchildren. She sees the house as psychical evidence of their existence and prosperity. She encourages her daughter to go against societiesâ expectations and become a strong, independent woman who is a doctor. She doesnât quite agree with Walter Leeâs dreams, but she wants him to realize his full potential as a man and a provider. She has to turn over some of her control, and money, in order to do that.
Then, comes the visit from Karl Lindner (Brian Richardson) from the Clybourne Park âwelcoming committee.â Lena has put the down payment on a house in his all-white neighborhood. Theyâd rather not see any change come to their area and drive down the property values. Lindner offers them a nice pay out if theyâd reconsider. Every time he said, âyou people,â I cringed. The setting is 1953 and red-lining is at its peak.
Hansberryâs play examines complex family dynamics. Itâs also about the âAmerican Dreamâ of owning your house and/or business, improving yourself through education. Daring to dream big and having the courage and resources to pursue it. She brings to light social and racial injustices. Lorraine Hansberry was an activist and used her voice as a playwright to call attention to these injustices. Her parents bought a house in an all-white Chicago neighborhood in 1937, and she narrowly escaped serious harm when someone threw a brick through their window so hard it embedded in the wall. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by a black woman to appear on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959. It was nominated for four Tony Awards.
Director Don Sherman directs this outstanding cast. Regina Poole as Lena is a force as the powerful matriarch. Jeffery J.Jackson as Walter Lee is terrific. Heâs a hard character to like, and yet, Jeffery brings out his complex personality and you gain understanding of who he is, his own dreams and frustrations.
Brittany Mayti plays Ruth as both caring and strong. Nicole Stubbs brings home all the spirit of Beneatha, who can sometimes be annoying, and yet, so determined. Marva Hammonds provides some much needed comedic breaks as Mrs. Johnson.
The entire cast is terrific. The scene design is like a cut-out of an apartment complex, with a side hallway to the bathroom . The costumes by Kevin Hammonds are wonderful, period specific, and really enhance the experience. Sound design by Avery Hammonds includes great backdrop music, and lighting by Michael Gaynor helps us focus.
All around a tremendous production of this classic play! Get there by October 29th if you can!
GRADE: A+
